Lost in the post-MLB trade deadline hoopla was an interesting transaction by the Seattle Mariners. They released former Boston Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder on Tuesday after trading for Baltimore Orioles outfieder Taylor Ward.
Despite Refsnyder's four-year run with the Red Sox from 2022 to 2025, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow knows he must pass on a reunion with the former clubhouse favorite.
First, the 35-year-old Refsnyder is in the midst of his worst big-league career, hitting just .140 with four home runs and a .465 OPS in 53 games. His -1.0 WAR is the worst he's ever posted.
Second, Refsnyder isn't exactly in peak form.
"Refsnyder’s struggles correlated with chronic pain in both of his knees that he mentioned as far back as April and led to him missing a month," MLB.com's Daniel Kramer reported Tuesday.
He's played in four games since returning from the injured list, going 2-for-9 with one home run and five strikeouts.
Third, Refsnyder's calling card -- crushing left-handed hitting -- has completely disappeared. Consider this report from Masslive.com's Chris Cotillo after Refsnyder signed a one-year, $6.25 million contract with the Mariners.
"In 2025, he posted a .302 average, .560 slugging percentage and .959 OPS against southpaws," Cotillo noted. "Refsnyder’s .596 slugging percentage against left-handed starters was the fourth-best mark in baseball.
"Since the start of 2021, Refsnyder ranks third in the majors in on-base percentage against lefties (.405) among players with 300 plate appearances," Cotillo added.
But this year, Refsnyder is hitting .147 with a .506 OPS and 31 strikeouts in 95 at-bats vs. left-handed pitching.
Finally, the Red Sox just don't have room on the roster for another spare part. Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Eli White, Masataka Yoshida and Jahmai Jones all can play the outfield, and the club is still awaiting the return of Roman Anthony.
There's just no place for Refsnyder in Beantown.
Perhaps the Red Sox can sign Refsnyder to a minor-league contract and send him to Triple-A Worcester, where he can try to regain his stroke and be on stand-by just in case.
But it is entirely possible the former New York Yankees draft pick is facing the end of his 11-year MLB career.