The Boston Red Sox must feel dejected at the end of another season with no playoffs, but there's hardly time to pout.
Though they showed promise at times, the 2024 Red Sox ultimately failed to show up when they had a golden opportunity to earn a Wild Card spot. The front office will have to quickly work on rebuilding the roster for 2025 if they want Boston's longest postseason drought since 1994 to subside.
The Red Sox will have a lot to juggle--players coming, players leaving, and talented prospects knocking on the door for playing time. But amid all the uncertainty, it's nice to know that at least one player whose future was somewhat murky will likely be back at Fenway Park.
Veteran Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder had previously said this summer that he was contemplating retirement. It was a bit of a surprise, given the fact that the 33-year-old was in the middle of arguably his best season as a professional. And it would have been a real loss for Boston.
Now, it appears the Sox can rest easy on the retirement front. Refsnyder told MassLive's Chris Cotillo on Saturday that he plans to return to the big leagues in 2025, and Cotillo reports that it is "widely expected" that the Red Sox will bring him back on his incredibly team-friendly club option.
The Red Sox hold a $2 million club option over Refsnyder for next year. Refsnyder said Saturday that the team has not informed him of a decision on that option; that call is due five days after the World Series," Cotillo said.
"But it’s widely expected the Red Sox will opt to exercise the option after a strong season in which Refsnyder hit .283 with 11 homers, 40 RBIs and a .830 OPS while once again mashing left-handed pitchers (.302, .941) and emerging as a clubhouse leader."
Two million dollars is an incredible bargain for a hitter of Refsnyder's caliber, even if his role is somewhat limited to mashing lefties and pinch-hitting duty. Refsnyder also seems to want to be in Boston, telling Cotillo he hopes to see the Red Sox's next playoff berth.
“I signed here after the ‘21 season because I wanted to be part of postseason baseball,” Refsnyder said. "Hopefully, next year we’re competing for a division and the postseason. I feel like that would be an amazing feeling and it would mean a lot more than just jumping on something. To be able to go through those down years and hopefully be on the up and make a postseason run, that would mean a lot.”
After bouncing around between the New York Yankees and three other American League teams, Refsnyder has found his home in Boston. He has a .795 OPS and 119 OPS+ with the Red Sox over 239 games. That includes 18 of his 24 career home runs as well.
The outfield picture may be clogged moving forward, but there will always be room for a role player like Refsnyder who can play a major role in the clubhouse culture. Hopefully, Refsnyder gets his wish and joins the Red Sox for a long-awaited October run in 2025.
