Rob Refsnyder, Infield, Boston Red Sox

Date of Birth: 3/26/1991
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
College: University of Arizona

Rob Refsnyder, infielder for the Boston Red Sox, was born in South Korea. His original name of Kim Jung-tae was changed when he was adopted at five months of age by an American couple. Prior to being drafted by the New York Yankees in 2012, he played baseball at the University of Arizona. That year, he won the College World Series Most Outstanding Player award for batting .476 in the series.

Refsnyder played in the Yankees' minor league system from 2012 through most of 2015. In 430 games, he batted .290 with 462 hits, 106 doubles, 198 RBIs, and 285 strikeouts to 211 walks. Defensively, he was an outfielder in college but he was moved to second base when he signed with the Yankees. In 337 games at second base, he made 867 assists, 188 double plays, 587 putouts, and 55 errors.

Refsnyder joined the Yankees for 16 games in 2015. He had 13 hits, including 3 doubles and 2 home runs.

In 2016, Refsnyder batted .250 with 38 hits in 58 games with the Yankees. Defensively, he played 25 games at first base, 8 games at second base, 1 game at third base, 5 games in left field, and 23 games in right field.

The Yankees traded Refsnyder to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 23, 2017. He finished the 2017 season with a .170 batting average in 20 games with the Yankees and 32 games with the Blue Jays.

The Cleveland Indians claimed Refsnyder off waivers on November 20, 2017. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays on March 27, 2018. He batted .167 in 40 games with the Rays in 2018. He also played in 51 games in the minors.

Refsnyder became a free agent on November 2, 2018. He signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on November 26th. The Diamondbacks traded him to the Cincinnati Reds on April 7, 2019. He was released by the Reds on August 26th. He played only in the minors in 2019.

Refsnyder signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on December 5, 2019. He played in just 15 games in 2020, and he batted .200.

Refsnyder became a free agent on October 14, 2020. He signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins on November 23rd. He spent time on the IL in 2021 with a concussion, hamstring strain, and elbow impingement. He had a .245 batting average in 51 games with the Twins.

Refsnyder became a free agent on November 7, 2021. He signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox on December 21st.

Personal Life

Refsnyder and his wife Monica were married in December, 2015. She is an all-American swimmer.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Rob Refsnyder
Baseball Reference - Rob Refsnyder