How Hunter Renfroe stacks up against Red Sox one-year wonders
Chaim Bloom hit a buzzer beater as time expired on the existing collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players union. Just minutes before the lockout took place, Jeff Passan reported that Hunter Renfroe was being shipped off to Milwaukee. In return, the Boston Red Sox are reunited with Jackie Bradley Jr. who they acquired in the deal along with two other Brewers prospects.
On the surface, the swap is surprising. Bradley Jr. made a name for himself in Boston patrolling center, flashing one of the best gloves and strongest arms in the game, but struggled to find consistency at the plate. His offensive production dipped to new lows last year in Milwaukee as he ranked bottom in the league (min. 400 PA) for BA, OBP, SLG and OPS.
Conversely, Renfroe is coming off a career year notching highs in BA, OBP, and OPS. He also slugged 31 home runs and drove in 96 runs on the year. The only player on the team to best him in both those categories last year was Rafael Devers.
It seems like Chaim is taking a buy-low, sell-high strategy on this trade. Renfroe’s value is at an all time high and some of his offensive production from 2021 may regress to levels he played at earlier in his career. On the other hand, JBJ is available at an all-time low to the point that the Red Sox were able to secure a couple prospects in the deal.
While the sun sets on Renfroe’s time in Boston, let’s take a trip down memory lane to remember some other players that made a splash in their lone year on the Red Sox.