Toronto Blue Jays acquire Rob Refsnyder from New York Yankees
By Tim Haberin
Rob Refsnyder struggled to maintain a role with the New York Yankees, but he’ll look forward to a new beginning with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired utility man Rob Refsnyder from the New York Yankees in exchange for minor league first baseman Ryan McBroom, per an announcement by the Yankees.
The 26-year-old Refsnyder had been designated for assignment along with first baseman Ji-Man Choi last Wednesday to make room for New York’s new additions from its trade with the Chicago White Sox.
Refsnyder’s eventual departure from the Yankees had been brewing for a while. The organization had tried him at a number of positions in hopes that he would carve out a niche on the major league club. However, his lagging production with the bat never really justified a place on the roster, in spite of his versatility in the field.
Once considered among the Yanks’ more intriguing prospects, Refsnyder made his big league debut in 2015 and performed quite well over 16 games that year, slashing .302/.348/.512 with a pair of home runs and five RBI in 47 plate appearances. Unfortunately, he failed to maintain those numbers in more extended playing time the following season. Refsnyder hit an underwhelming .250/.328/.309 in 58 games while driving in 12 runs and failing to collect another homer.
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Refsnyder received another chance this year amidst the various injuries suffered by Yankees regulars. Over 20 games, he turned in his weakest offensive showing yet at this level, batting .135/.200/.216 without a homer or RBI in 40 plate appearances. He spent time at first base, second base, right field and left field – his most prolific defensive journey yet – but there was simply little reason to pencil him into the lineup most days.
A change of scenery could be a good thing for Refsnyder, as the former Yankees farmhand will look for a fresh start in Toronto. He had been enjoying success at Triple-A this season, slashing .312/.390/.464 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 38 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. While the Blue Jays don’t appear to have a clear need for him right now, they could deploy Refsnyder as a multi-purpose tool off the bench or additional depth in the minors.
First base remains a trouble spot for the Yanks in 2017, but McBroom won’t be a potential solution at the moment. The 25-year-old has played in 96 games for the Jays’ Double-A affiliate in New Hampshire this season, batting .243/.321/.402 with 12 homers and 54 RBI. McBroom has demonstrated some pop, notching double-digit home run totals in all four seasons of his minor league career, including a high of 22 last year split between High-A and Double-A.
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This certainly isn’t a ground-shaking transaction for either club, but each will hope to get something worthwhile out of it. Toronto adds a versatile player who has shown promise in the minor leagues but had no real future with his former organization. The Yankees receive a minor leaguer at a thin position in exchange for a player they were showing the door anyway.