Rob Refsnyder would be a perfect free agent addition for the Cleveland Guardians.
The Cleveland Guardians have been fairly active on the reliever front this offseason. Even though the bullpen needed to be addressed, Cleveland’s lineup is easily the biggest question mark heading into next season, and the front office hasn’t made a single addition on the position player side.
Thankfully, there is still one free agent on the market that would be a perfect fit with the Guardians: outfielder Rob Refsnyder.
First off, Refsnyder’s return to the Boston Red Sox is now reportedly considered “unlikely,” opening up the door for the veteran to join a new organization for his age-35 season. Cleveland could be the perfect landing spot for him.
Overall, Refsnyder had a very solid 2025 season. He registered a .269/.354/.484 slash line with an OPS of .838, including nine home runs. The outfielder also still hit the ball fairly hard for being in his mid-30s. Refsnyder had an average exit velocity of 92 mph, a hard-hit rate of 52.3 percent, and a barrel rate of 12.3 percent.
Refsnyder has never been known for his defense, but that’s not what Cleveland needs him for. The Guardians obviously need more outfield depth and production from this position group, and the veteran would immediately address those needs.
Sep 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesIt’s not just the simple counting stats that make Refsnyder a great fit for the Guardians. It’s the fact that he’s a right-handed hitter and mashes left-handed pitching.
After Cleveland designated Jhonkensy Noel for assignment, the Guardians only have three pure right-handed hitters on the 40-man roster. That’s an issue for a team that struggled against southpaws last season.
As a righty, Refsnyder has always hit lefties well, and last season was no exception. In 116 at-bats against southpaws in 2025, Refsnyder had a .302/.399/.560 slash line and a .959 OPS.
The Guardians, understandably, don’t want to take away opportunities from their young outfield core of Chase DeLauter, George Valera, and CJ Kayufs. However, they’re all lefties and will likely need a platoon partner to add to the mix. Adding Refsnyder to the big-league roster wouldn’t take away chances from the rookie trio.
Who knows if the Guardians will make moves and move on the position-player front this winter? But if they do, adding Refsnyder would be a perfect addition.