The Royals officially released Hunter Renfroe yesterday, according to the MLB.com transaction log. This was the expected outcome after Kansas City designated the veteran outfielder for assignment last week.
K.C.’s surprising two-year free agent investment in Renfroe did not work. The Royals guaranteed him $13.5MM on a deal that also included an opt-out clause after the first season. Renfroe was coming off a replacement-level .233/.297/.416 showing between the Angels and Reds in 2023. The Royals hoped for a rebound, but his production further tanked in Kansas City.
Renfroe hit .229/.297/.392 with 15 homers over 120 games last year. He made the easy decision not to opt out. The Royals gave him another shot as the Opening Day right fielder. Renfroe batted .182/.241/.242 without a single homer across 108 trips to the plate. His organizational tenure concludes with a .219/.286/.362 slash line over 532 plate appearances.
The Royals will pay Renfroe the remainder of his $7.5MM salary. There’s a decent chance he’ll need to accept a minor league deal if he wants to find another landing spot. If Renfroe logs major league action anywhere else this year, his new team will only pay the prorated portion of the $760K league minimum. That would come off the Royals’ obligations.
Kansas City has swapped out both their season-opening corner outfielders. Left fielder MJ Melendez remains on the 40-man roster but was optioned last month. He’s hitting .215 while striking out nearly 28% of the time in Triple-A. Renfroe is now out of the organization entirely. Drew Waters is starting in left field, while they brought up 27-year-old rookie John Rave to get an opportunity in right field. Top prospect Jac Caglianone looms in Triple-A and could be up within a few weeks, but the outfield figures to remain the front office’s top priority as the trade deadline approaches.
Everyone knew this was a stupid signing, except the royals. Even then they may have thought “we are the team smart enough to be this stupid”.
1/4 of Renfroes 800 hits have been home runs.
And 27% of his PA have been strikeouts, what’s your point?
But he was a strong hitter from 2019-2022 that would hit 30 homers
Man this should have been done two years ago.
he was signed to a two-year deal in 2024
My bad. Just seems like he’s been there for longer than that.
I mean.. at least one of these flamed out OF have to take a minor league try to be with the Padres.. right?
His first season with SD showed hall of fame bat,
after that he was a poor man’s version of Gorman Thomas
You mean his first 11 games?
yes
That is the single smallest sample size I have ever heard someone refer to in the same sentence as HOF.
Pro-rated league minimum for a guy that can’t be any worse defensively than Toro or Sogard with power upside. Make a move Breslow
White Sox incoming for renfroe?
I always got this guy confused with the hunter renfrow in the nfl
I know my fellow Padre fans want a reunion, but he is 2025 Hunter Renfroe and not 2018 Hunter Renfroe who used to dot the western metal building.
Geez, that outfield makes the Pirates offense look good. Heck, I know they want Tommy Pham back? Scary that he’s an upgrade over both of them
Like the job Waters has done. They need to launch MJ as well
But can he play wide receiver?
Check the Mike Siani thread for that.
Slot receiver actually, but I loved his time here. Just way too small for the beatings that he took.
Carolina Panthers signed him.
Joking! before get jumped on..other Hunter
But somehow Tommy Pham still has a job, such a strange world we live in,
Tommy Pham. The manager wants to see you in his office.