Cleveland Indians trade Rob Refsnyder to Rays for cash considerations

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired Cleveland Indians infielder/outfielder Rob Refsnyder for Cash Considerations this afternoon. This comes less than a day after the Indians completed its Opening Day roster by selecting outfielder Brandon Guyer over Refsnyder.

A versatile fielder with time logged everywhere except CF, SS, P, and C, Refsnyder struggled at the plate this spring. He slashed a meager .191/.298/.362 in 58 plate appearances. He previously played in the regular season for the Yankees and Blue Jays, where his numbers were not much better.

With Cash Considerations, the Indians receive a bit of an enigma. Considerations is considered to be one of the more versatile assets in the game of baseball. Considering the Indians spending situation, the move can be considered one that may bolster the economic situation of the club or allow additional flexibility at signing other players that the club considers worthy. But we can’t be kidders about Considerations; the Indians won’t fritter with the figures or wait for the highest bidder when considering where he’ll deliver the biggest impact. No one is certain what the value of Considerations is at the time of publication, though even figurative figures figure to differ.

[deep breath]

Joey Wendle is currently listed as the primary 2B on the Rays depth chart. The former Indians prospect was intentionally walked once last season despite making only 15 PAs. When combined with his additional walk, a full season of plate appearances at the same walk rate would yield nearly 100 total free passes. This trade suggests that the Rays are not banking on such output.

The Rays may also try Refsnyder at SS, where fellow former Blue Jay and Florida Marlins exodus pioneer Adeiny Hechavarria tops the depth chart. The decision probably won’t matter anyway, as the Rays will finish out of playoff contention and likely spend most of the year as a Dubious But Interesting Curiosity for using a 4-man rotation.

Despite the tone of this blurb, I wish Rob Refsnyder the best of luck as an LGFT. May all of his best moments come at crucial times against the Yankees.