SEATTLE — The Mariners directly addressed another, albeit more tertiary, roster void for their 2025-26 offseason on Monday, signing veteran first baseman and outfielder Rob Refsnyder to a one-year Major League contract.
The deal is worth $6.25 million and includes up to $250,000 in incentives — which represents a significant uptick from the $2.1 million he earned last year in Boston, and perhaps underscores how highly president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander view the veteran.
Refsnyder, widely praised as a great clubhouse personality and someone who mashes left-handed pitching, gives Seattle a much-needed backup to Josh Naylor — and with a platoon. But the 10-year big leaguer will also be in the mix at designated hitter, and he actually has more career experience as a corner outfielder.
The Mariners already have a crowded outfield — Randy Arozarena in left, Julio Rodríguez in center and a combination of Dominic Canzone, Luke Raley and Victor Robles in right. But Dipoto, Hollander and manager Dan Wilson will utilize Spring Training to see how that collective fits together.
Moreover, Monday’s move — which brought the Mariners’ 40-man roster to capacity — will not preclude the club from continuing to seek a higher-impact and proven bat this offseason, a source with knowledge of the club’s thinking told MLB.com. However, a deal for that coveted commodity, either via free agency or trade, is not imminent.
The acquisition of Refsnyder, meanwhile, came somewhat out of nowhere. But a deeper dive into his hitting profile reveals why the Mariners are bringing him in.
Over the past four seasons, all with Boston, Refsnyder has been one of the most effective right-handed hitters against left-handed pitching, ranking near the top of nearly all statistical categories among 81 players with at least 500 plate appearances within that criteria. Only Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Judge, each an MVP Award winner in that span, had a higher on-base percentage against lefties in that stretch.
Refsnyder vs. LHP since 2022 (MLB rank)
BA: .312 (fifth)
OBP: .407 (third)
SLG: .516 (12th)
OPS: .924 (sixth)
wRC+ (league average is 100): 155 (fifth)
“Rob has been one of the most productive hitters against left-handed pitching over the last four seasons and provides balance and impact offensively to our lineup,” Hollander said in a statement.
Refsnyder’s contract will push the Mariners’ payroll to around $157.5 million, per Cots Baseball Contracts’ unofficial figures, which is about $10 million shy of where they ended 2025. Dipoto has mentioned that their final figure from last year would be “a starting point” to their allocations by Opening Day, with room to bolster the budget at next year’s Trade Deadline if they’re in contention, as they expect to be.
A fifth-round pick in the 2012 Draft by the Yankees, Refsnyder ascended to as high as New York’s No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline at the time of his 2015 debut. The Yanks were the first of six clubs he’d play for over his first 10 seasons, followed by the Blue Jays, Rays, Rangers, Twins and Red Sox.
And it was in Boston that Refsnyder finally found a more permanent home after signing a Minor League deal with the Red Sox in the 2021-22 offseason. Over four seasons (2022-25), Refsnyder hit .276/.364/.440 (124 wRC+) in 309 games, mostly as a fourth outfielder.
He averaged 77 games per season in Boston, topping out at 93 in 2024 and playing in 70 last year.
How Refsnyder transitions from Fenway Park (one of the sport’s most hitter-friendly environments) to T-Mobile Park (one of the least) will obviously be worth monitoring.
Refsnyder, who will turn 35 on Opening Day next year, was born in Seoul, South Korea, which will make him the fourth Korean-born player in Mariners history — along with Shin-Soo Choo (2005-06), Cha-Seung Baek (2007) and Dae-ho Lee (2016).
