Brief MN Twins Outfielder Receives Record Payday

Rocco Baldelli took over as the Minnesota Twins manager before the 2019 season and the change in leadership immediately paid dividends, producing 101 wins and setting records as a team that went down in MLB history as the “Bomba Squad”.

A year later the world shut down, but the Twins again made the playoffs under their second-year skipper, following an extremely shortened season. Then in 2021, the floor fell through and we got Baldelli’s first official stinker (73-89).

As is often the case with teams that do not meet expectations, the 2021 Twins faced all sorts of challenges throughout the summer. Their clubhouse was run by Josh Donaldson, one of the most divisive personalities in Twins history.

Shocker: Byron Buxton was healthy for just 61 games, and that lead to a carousel of outfielders rotating in center. Their shortstop was an over-the-hill Andrelton Simmons and the human turtle Willians Astudillo played a career-high 72 games at seven different positions, if you include DH.

Seattle Mariners hand Rob Refsnyder a big check

Among the oddities of that season, was the inclusion of one-time New York Yankees deep cut, Rob Refsnyder, who played in 51 games as a Minnesota Twin in 2021, and made 157 plate appearances, slashing .245/.325/.338 (.663 OPS).

That offseason, he wound up in Boston, where he quietly became a Red Sox lineup staple in the four seasons since. Refsnyder’s first year in Boston, he hit a career-best 143 OPS+ across 57 games.

His production dipped in 2023 (87 OPS+ in 89 games), before he turned it back up to a combined 132 OPS+ over 163 games between 2024 and 2025. And now, he’s heading west for a pretty impressive payday with the Seattle Mariners.

Mariners roster news: They just announced that they’ve signed veteran 1B/OF Rob Refsnyder to a one-year Major League contract.

It’s for $6.25 million, a source said, and it brings their 40-man roster to capacity.

— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) December 22, 2025

Originally drafted by the Yankees in the fifth round back in 2012, Refsnyder bounced around between just about every team in the AL East between 2015 and 2018 (NYY, TOR, TB). Finally, he stepped outside his comfort zone for two seasons (2020 and 2021) for one-year runs with the Rangers and Twins.

In 2022, Refsnyder found his way back to the AL East, signing with one of only two teams in that division that he had yet to play for — the Boston Red Sox.

Despite sticking in Boston for nearly a half-decade and paving out a 10-year big league career, the utility outfielder hasn’t played more than 93 games in any of those seasons. Having never made more than $2.1 million in a season, this is a serious payday for the journeyman.

Short-term Minnesota Twins outfielder does what for Mariners?

Why you pay Refsnyder more than $6 million is very clear though, a platoon outfielder who hasn’t posted positive defensive metrics with any consistency since 2018?

Well… because he crushes lefties. In 2025 he batted .302/.399/.560 against southpaws, and he hit seven homers in just 116 at bats. His .826 career OPS against lefties is nearly 200 points higher than against right-handed pitchers.

Lefty masher

Welcome to Seattle, Rob Refsnyder!pic.twitter.com/hvx3ai1spg

— Steve (@MarinersSteve) December 22, 2025

Last year, the Seattle Mariners threatened a World Series appearance on the back of former Minnesota Twins infielder Jorge Polanco. This offseason, he grabbed the bag in New York, signing with the Mets.

For a Major League Baseball organization that wants to invest in winning, $6 million is just a drop in the bucket. Refsnyder gives the Mariners a platoon bat they can insert wherever, especially in the outfield.

Refsnyder won’t give Seattle what Polanco did last summer, but Refsnyder is a solid addition around the big league edges, nonetheless.