Why Red Sox Veteran Decided Not To Retire

Last season Red Sox veteran Rob Refsnyder said he may retire after the season, which some people, including manager Alex Cora, didn’t believe.

Now, this season, it’s a good thing Refsnyder decided to continue his baseball career.

The veteran has been helpful to the Red Sox lineup, coming in whenever he is needed by Cora. He hits well against left-handed pitchers and has been big for Boston off the bench. Despite going through some struggles throughout the season, Refsnyder is batting .301 and has a .388 OBP through 33 games.

When asked why he didn’t retire by Baseball Isn’t Boring’s Rob Bradford, Refsnyder said if the Red Sox didn’t pick up his team option, he didn’t know if teams would have been interested in signing him.

“Really it was just the conversation, last year was my last guaranteed deal with here,” Refsnyder said. “…I didn’t really know the future. If no one has interest then yeah, I’d go on and do the next thing. I’m happy I’m here and this is my last year here that I guaranteed so we’ll see what happens.”

Refsnyder has played 10 seasons in MLB, playing for six different teams during that time. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2012 before making his debut with them in 2015.

On Sunday, the veteran hit a two-run home run in the Red Sox’s 9-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants.