Red Sox Sign Outfielder Hunter Renfroe To One-Year Contract

The Boston Red Sox have made a small move that has a good deal of upside.

The Red Sox on Monday announced they signed free agent outfielder Hunter Renfroe to a one-year deal. Renfroe’s contract carries a base salary of $3.1 million, The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported.

Renfroe, a 2013 first-round pick of the Padres, was one of the top prospects in baseball when he debuted with San Diego in 2016. He doesn’t hit much for average, but he certainly has a good deal of power, hitting 85 home runs over three seasons between 2017 and 2019.

San Diego eventually traded Renfroe to the Tampa Bay Rays last December as part of the deal that brought Tommy Pham to the Padres. Renfroe came as advertised with the Rays, hitting eight home runs over just 42 games despite an average of just .156, by far the lowest mark of his career and well below his .228 career average.

Renfroe appeared in 12 postseason games with the Rays, hitting a pair of home runs, including one in Game 4 of the World Series.