Guardians' solution to outfield problem could be underrated Red Sox free agent

The Guardians have a lot of different ways they could improve their outfield production for the 2026 season. While things should be better next season thanks to the presence of George Valera and Chase DeLauter, they also still need a proven, veteran bat to round out the picture. 

Kyle Schwarber stands out as the top option on the free agency market, but he’s set to make a ton of money in free agency and Phillies owner John Middleton hasn’t been shy about his plans to keep him in Philadelphia.

Luckily for the Guardians, there are plenty of tier-two outfield free agents who could help the Guardians in 2026, namely Rob Refsnyder.

While Refsnyder isn’t in the same category as Schwarber, he’s a productive outfielder who would fit into the Guardians’ lineup like a glove.

Rob Refsnyder to the Guardians makes too much sense 

After mulling over retirement last offseason, the soon-to-be 35-year-old Refsnyder seems to have already made a decision about 2026. Over the weekend, the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported that Refsnyder “plans to play in 2026” and has had informal talks with the Red Sox about a return. He’s also expected to have plenty of suitors in free agency. 

The Guardians should be one of them. After struggling early in his career with four different organizations, Refsnyder has put together a late career renaissance with the Red Sox. He slashed .269/.354/.484 last year for the Red Sox while hitting .302 with seven home runs against lefties. 

That’s been his M.O. since joining the Red Sox, as he has a .312 batting average against left-handed pitchers in 426 at-bats since the start of 2022.

The Guardians, in case you haven’t heard, love a platoon advantage (even if they don’t like using the “p word”). In fact, they finished last year with a platoon advantage in more than 75% of their at-bats. But that didn’t immediately translate to success, as they finished the year with the second-worst OPS in all of baseball. 

Refsnyder won’t fix that all by himself, but he’s one of baseball's best platoon outfielders, has a reputation as a solid clubhouse presence and will be an affordable option in free agency. 

He grades as an average fielder in right, but the Guardians used two subpar defenders in right field last year in Nolan Jones and Jhonkensy Noel. He’d be an upgrade over that. 

He’s also a career .315 hitter at Progressive Field and mashed a go-ahead home run against Cleveland in April earlier this year. 

He won’t be a part of the team’s long-term core due to his age, but that’s not what they need. DeLauter and/or Valera are the long-term answer there, but Refsnyder would be the perfect right-handed, veteran partner to both rookies.