Tampa Bay Rays: the time is now for Hunter Renfroe
By Rob Myerson
Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in the off-season, Hunter Renfroe must show that his time is now. Will the new environment turn him into a consistent star?
On December 6th, the Tampa Bay Rays agreed to send Tommy Pham to San Diego for fellow outfielder Hunter Renfroe, and minor-league shortstop Xavier Edwards. The trade didn’t bring much fanfare in Tampa where even ace pitcher Blake Snell had nothing good to say about it.
Pham outproduced Renfroe in nearly every statistical measure last year. To add insult to injury for Rays fans, Pham even produced a .333 batting average in last season’s ALDS versus the Houston Astros.
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Once the 2020 season begins, Renfroe will be expected to pick up where Pham left off. Renfroe, who despite his career .289 on-base-percentage has shown to have some pop in his bat, averaging 28 home runs over his only three full seasons in the majors, including a career-high 33 last year.
Luckily for the 28-year-old outfielder, Tampa has been one of the baseball mecca’s of reclamation projects over recent years. Last year alone, they turned Tyler Glasnow into an ace (before going down with an injury that derailed his season), jump-started former top prospect, Austin Meadows, to his first all-star game, and put a relatively unknown Ji-Man Choi in a position where he could have his second consecutive productive season on a contending team.
The Rays wouldn’t have acquired Renfroe if they didn’t believe that can tinker with his swing enough to contribute to their next improbable Cinderella run into October. Rays management doesn’t have the luxury to get emotional over players like Pham.
It’s always a numbers game for a team with a 59 million dollar payroll (currently ranked 26th in MLB). Renfroe currently has four years of service-time left on his contract, whereas Pham only has two (at a higher salary).
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They also managed to add to their league-leading farm system by adding Edwards. Tampa can’t stay competitive without making these kinds of calculated moves.
The onus will now be on Renfroe, who may be in the exact spot that he needs to be to jump-start his career. The former 13th overall pick out of Mississippi State had been largely a disappointment during his short career in San Diego.
His power was obvious, but his inconsistency overshadowed any sort of positives that he exhibited in Southern California. This is a player who Bleacher Report once compared to Raul Mondesi, and predicted multiple all-star game appearances.
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With their ability to teach hitters patience at the plate, Tampa should be able to cut down on his 154 strikeouts and improve on his 46 walks. Hunter Renfroe could very well be on his way to being the Tampa Bay Rays next reclamation project.