Rob Refsnyder has mashed left-handed arms over the past couple of seasons. May the Padres take a shot at the 35-year-old bat?

Before the trade deadline, the Seattle Mariners made a trade for the right-handed bat of Taylor Ward of the Orioles. With the arrival of Ward in the Pacific Northwest, Jerry Dipoto had to make a move, and that meant letting go of Rob Refsnyder.

With Taylor Ward joining the team today, the Mariners have released outfielder Rob Refsnyder per MLB sources

Seattle has also released catcher Mitch Garver. Jhonny Pereda is being recalled from Tacoma. @tlschwerz had this earlier.

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) August 4, 2026

Who

Refsnyder signed with the Seattle Mariners on a one-year deal after the 2025 season. The 35-year-old out of Korea has been a journeyman for most of his career, appearing for seven total teams across his 11-year career. Refsnyder struggled in 2026 with the M’s, slashing .140/.211/.254 in 53 games with the team, leading to his eventual release.

Rob Refsnyder gives the Mariners the lead with a 2-run homer off the foul pole!

This is his first homer since late May⭐️ pic.twitter.com/iWFbni4kFI

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 29, 2026

When joining the Red Sox in 2022, Refsnyder turned around his career for the best. That’s when the organization utilized him as a platoon man against the southpaws. Throughout Refsnyder’s tenure in Boston from 2022-2025, he averaged an OPS+ of 124, which marks 24% above the league average. In 57 games against left-handers in 2025, Refsnyder slashed .302/.399/.560, launching seven home runs. A guy that’s a year removed from a season with an OPS+ of 132, I believe that a better 2026 lies ahead of him. A struggling hitter with his home ballpark of T-Mobile Park, which ranks worst in MLB in park factor, is not a great match.

Why

Miguel Andujar has been sidelined since July 19th with a fractured right wrist. Wrist injuries in baseball tend to be tricky, with so much tension on the wrists when swinging, so it’s unknown when Andujar will be returning to the lineup.

San Diego ranks 27th in MLB with a team OPS vs. LHP of .665. Refsnyder has a very nice track record over the past few seasons of having success against left-handed arms in a platoon role. A change of scenery for Refsnyder may be something that can help him get back to the self that he was in Boston.

Gavin Sheets, another designated hitter option, has been dealing with plantar fasciitis. That could be a leading factor in Sheets’ declining play over the past few months. The injury is not known to be worthy of an injured list stint for the lefty slugger.

Refsnyder could fill into a role that Andujar once filled. Following the Andujar injury, the designated hitter role has been a revolving door. There hasn’t been just one guy filling the spot in the lineup; instead, it’s been used to give some of the regulars some time off their feet in the field. In ways that could be good, but for a team that has lacked offense for much of the season, it could hurt the team.

Taking a shot on the free agent Rob Refsnyder is a low risk high reward move that AJ Preller and the front office could take. Inserting a cheap veteran bat in Refsnyder to the lineup is a move that could propel the Padres up in the Wild Card race.

Angel Flores

Angel grew up a San Diego sports fan, following the Padres, SDSU athletics, San Diego FC, as well as the Chargers. He is currently a third year community college student, and will transfer to SDSU to pursue a career in Journalism.