The Red Sox didn't exactly put together the strongest recruiting pitch during the 2020 season, but they managed to convince Hunter Renfroe to join the team as a free agent in the following offseason. And now that the Red Sox are two wins away from the World Series, he stands firm that he made the right decision.
The former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder acknowledged that the Red Sox were dealt a tough hand during the 2020 season, with ace Chris Sale sidelined due to Tommy John surgery and heir apparent Eduardo Rodriguez out due to myocarditis he contracted from COVID-19.
"It just kind of was dealt the tough role," Renfroe explained to reporters prior to Tuesday's game. "They were kind of struggling, but at the end of the season they started really turning it on, and J.D. started hitting the ball, and you kind of saw the pieces that were there before I even got there that they had the potential to be very, very good."
Those so-called "pieces" have returned, and the Red Sox finished as a 92-win team a year after winning just 40% of their games and finishing last in the American League East in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Renfroe was a large part of that, posting a .259 batting average with 135 hits and 96 RBIs, both career highs. Of course, the Red Sox had quite a few other additions that helped them rally to the point they're at now, but you have to imagine he's happy with the way it all worked out.
