Outfielder/designated hitter Rob Refsnyder signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Mariners on Monday afternoon, officially ending his four-year tenure with the Boston Red Sox.

His presence will be a big loss for the Boston lineup, especially against left-handers, where he is one of the best hitters in baseball. It will also be a loss in the clubhouse, where he is regarded as a strong leader.

After the signing was made official, Refsnyder delivered a message to Red Sox nation, which was shared on social media by Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald.

A special message and video from Rob Refsnyder:

Thank you to the incredible fans of Boston. It was such a joy to wear that uniform and compete for both you and the city.

Watching my kids grow up and play at Fenway, both before and after work, will be some of my fondest memories.

We met so many hardworking, amazing people who made this city such a special place for my family over the past four years.

A big thank you to the coaching staff, medical team, clubhouse staff, and everyone in the organization who has helped me along the way.

And lastly, thank you to my Sox teammates for putting up with me. I’ve learned so much from all of you.

Seattle,

I don’t think my younger self would have believed you if you had told him he’d someday be able to play for such an amazing organization. I used to play N64 MLB Baseball, featuring Griffey, for hours, pretending I was on the team. I feel so grateful, humbled, and fortunate for this moment. I’ll give you everything I’ve got. See you in Peoria.

About Refsynder

Now 34 years old, Refsynder will turn 35 by Opening Day in 2026. He's a well-traveled veteran of 10 years, having played for the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Red Sox.

A career .255 hitter, he had a very good four-year run in Boston, hitting .276 over 309 games. He also had 27 homers with Boston, playing mostly in that platoon role. The Red Sox often hit him leadoff, or even fourth, against lefties.

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New questions for the Red Sox

Well, the Sox need to figure out their roster construction in general at this point. They presently have four outfielders (Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran and Roman Anthony). We've thought they were going to move one of them, but with Refsynder gone and Jhostynxon Garcia traded, it's unclear exactly who the next man up could be in the fourth outfielder spot. Perhaps it's Masataka Yoshida, though Boston has generally tried to avoid him in the outfield for the last two seasons.

Furthermore, while the new acquisition of Willson Contreras should help against lefties, Boston just lost its best bat against lefties. Over the last four years, only Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt have performed better than Refsnyder against southpaws.

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