The Royals announced Friday that they’ve designated veteran outfielder Hunter Renfroe for assignment. Infielder Nick Loftin has been recalled from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Renfroe is being paid $7.5MM in the second season of a two-year, $13MM contract and will very likely be released in the coming days.
Kansas City gave out a pair of surprising two-year deals with player opt-outs in the 2023-24 offseason: one to Renfroe and another to veteran reliever Chris Stratton. Both struggled in year one of the contract and picked up said player option. Both players have been cut loose within days of each other, less than one-third of the way through the second season of those pacts.
The 33-year-old Renfroe had a big performance in June and July last season but struggled immensely outside those two months. From August onward, he batted only .211/.244/.333, finishing out the season with a sub-par .229/.297/.392 slash in 424 plate appearances. Renfroe understandably wasn’t keen on taking that batting line back to the open market, particularly not ahead of his age-33 campaign.
Any hopes of a rebound have faded, however, as the veteran slugger has declined even further at the plate this season. In 108 turns at the plate, Renfroe is hitting just .182/.241/.242 (32 wRC+, or 68% worse than league-average offense). He’s yet to hit a home run this season.
Given the magnitude of those struggles, there’s no way Renfroe will be claimed on waivers. Finding a trade partner should be nearly impossible as well. The overwhelming likelihood is that he, as was the case with Stratton, will be released on the heels of his DFA. At that point, the Royals would be on the hook for the remainder of his $7.5MM salary. A new team would owe Renfroe only the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the MLB roster.
Renfroe was a buy-low candidate even in the 2023-24 offseason (hence the surprise surrounding a two-year deal with a player opt-out). He’d slashed .233/.297/.416 between the Angels and Reds a year prior. He hasn’t had an above-average season at the plate since a 29-homer campaign with the 2022 Brewers, and once-strong defensive grades have declined considerably over the past few seasons. Renfroe did smack 60 homers and hit .257/.315/.496 in just under 1100 plate appearances between Boston and Milwaukee in 2021-22, so someone will probably take a flier on a minor league contract, but he’s a project at this stage of his career.
Wow, rough couple of years for him. Probably too old to find his stroke again?
That and he has shown that he is all about himself and isn’t the greatest clubhouse guy
Seven teams in seven years. There must be some reason he wasnt kept around.
@Salvi All of those trades/waivings made sense. Sometimes players get traded. Not much else to it.
“sometimes players get traded”
Im not buying it. Seven teams in seven years isnt logical. Good hitter, decent fielder, yet not one team said lock this guy up. He couldnt even land a 3 year contract. His contracts: 1 year, 1 year, 1 year, 1 year, 1 year, 2 years.
If it walks like a duck and quack like a duck, it probably is a . . . And please spare me the ‘his teammates all say he’s a great guy’.
All the one year contracts were during his arb years. Most players are on one year deals during his arb years. And once again, every single one of those trades or waivings actually made sense. The Angels put all their pending FA’s on waivers except Shohei Ohtani at the end of August 2023.
“All the one year contracts were during his arb years”
Is there a requirement to trade players in arb years? My main point is teams kept shipping him out. He was a quality, young controllable player that everybody wanted but quickly moved on from. It doesnt make sense.
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“every single one of those trades or waivings actually made sense.”
Boston and Milwaukee replaced him with Jackie Bradley and Tyrone Taylor. Red Sox OF was Verdugo, Kiki Hernandez and JBJ, yeesh they couldve used a good bat.
@stubby66 So you played with him before?
Very weak take there stubby
stubby66;
You couldn’t be more wrong.
Renfroe helped the young Royals players and was appreciated by them and management.
Nick Loftin can play 2B, 3B, and SS….even tried some LF lately in AAA. Michael Massey was taken of 2B tonight and moved to LF. The Royals are one of many teams that like players that can perform at multiple positions, depending on that day’s matchups. Loftin joins Massey, India, Garcia, Massey, Waters, and Biggio as young players they can moved around. I’d suspect Mark Canha is on a short leash now. Hasn’t really been productive.
Canha has been one of the best hitting OFers on the team. I don’t think short leash is what he’s on. He’s not a power hitter, wasn’t signed to be.
Never seen anything like this — in fact, most to the contrary? Any proof?
Pick him up Padres.
Left field….
Maybe Victor Rodriguez could fix him?
Wouldn’t cost much…
Absolutely. Bring him home. Cinco de Mayo 2019 alone deserves the opportunity.
You are never too old to find your stroke.
I found the last Billy Squier fan!
Come back to San Diego!
Yeah, maybe. But what is the cause of his decline?
Think he has a bad case of being old and washed
Agreed.
Couldn’t do any worse than what we have now.
Used to tattoo the Western Metal building.
Would be a great storyline.
Come home, Hunter, come home.
Bring back Myers and Hosmer too. Party.
It’s not a party unless they also bring back Franmil Reyes
I mean..we’ve seen it before when a player leaves and struggles..then comes back, and does well.
May as well give him a shot..
And then gets suspended for 80 games for using stuff.
He was one of my favorites when he first came up, but he can, and is, doing worse than what the Padres currently have.
His batting line is worse than Heyward and Lockridge’s but the thing about them not hitting is that they at least play solid defense. Padres are going to have to get someone new in LF but this is a downgrade on what they currently have, which is really saying something
Sorry to hear. Had some good moments as a Padre, including a walkoff grand slam against the Dodgers.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=0p_KsgOUSdU&pp=0gcJCdgA…
nice try
@energel I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean, weirdo.
just trolling, nice video
@energel Very well. Thanks for admitting it.
This is Tyler O’Neil in about 2 yrs
This Tyler O’Neill…………tomorrow?
Or Dylan Carlson now!
And yet Conforto is still starting with similar stats. UGH
He’s younger.
There is a reason why he played with alot of teams the last few years. The guy is a clubhouse cancer that wears out his welcome. Another Tommy pham and Jesse winkler.
Maybe but also he just isn’t worth it. Whatever he offers in power is mitigated by his poor contact rates
Not that I don’t believe you, but I’d love to know what makes Renfroe and Winker such jerks to keep getting traded
They think their rear ends don’t stink ! Think their better then their teammates opposing players hate them.
Renfroe’s not a jerk at all. And all the times he was traded it actually made sense.
@Chrome 8550 So you played with him before?
God I hope the Mets get rid of Marte and sign Renfroe. I still think Renfroe has something left in the tank
Yuchhhhhhhhhhhh. Renfroe is toast.
You would think that.
You dislike Starlin Marte? I think I read this trade proposal in the Bleday post too.
Not surprising they cut him, just surprising it took this long. Someone will give him a look for the prorated league minimum
Why? What could he possibly offer any team at this point?
Why not? A different team and stadium might re-ignite his bat especially when all he’s going to cost is the league minimum. No real loss if he craters on a new team.
So…he was only hot in June and July, and they cut him at the end of May…smh. Could be the right time to pick him up. Maybe not.
Japan or Korea may think he could hit for power in their league
I nominate the Rockies!
He can go back to the NFL now.
A+ post!
Mike Trout’s stunt double is free.
Lol and replace him with who exactly? Royals just made the weakest OF in the MLB even weaker
32 wRC+, you can find a lot of guys who can do that.
Starling Marte is on his way to KC.
He’s been out produced by Drew Waters to this point so it’s not like he was really helping. Jac Caglianone has done nothing but hit so far in the minors and will be knocking down the door very shortly
Rsox;
Finally……
Someone that actually knows about baseball!
Jac Caglianone soon
Not really.
I see hes got some time at 1b breslow on line 1
He put up good numbers when he was with the Red Sox…
And they still traded him to Milwaukee to bring a disgruntled JBJ back. Not sure a reunion is in the cards…
Cardinals
Why would they want him to take playing time away from young guys like Scott, Burleson, and Walker?
Jury still out on Walker
Royals have more problems than Renfroe……they’d better start looking at the hitting coach, I’m tired of watching pitching duels every night because they can’t hit with runners in scoring position
I remember him playing for the Padre’s AAA in El Paso, they had high hopes for Renfroe , seemed to do well, but as with most, time and injuries took their toll.