The Kansas City Royals have released veteran slugger outfielder Hunter Renfroe (33). His salary this year is $7.65 million, amounting to about 1.05 billion won, but with no signs of a rebound, they boldly let him go.

On the 24th (Korean time), Kansas City called up utility player Nick Loftin (27) from Triple-A and designated outfielder Renfroe for assignment (DFA). As a small-market team, Kansas City quickly made a decision on a high-salary player who ranks sixth in salary on the team, despite the season being far from over.

According to 'MLB.com', J.J. Piccolo, the Kansas City Director General, noted, "We respect the accomplishments Renfroe has made over the years. He was a key member of our team last year and played a role in changing the team culture and paving the way for victories. He always gave his best effort, and we also showed patience, but we believed Loftin's performance in Triple-A would help enhance the team's strength," explaining the reason for designating Renfroe for assignment.

Renfroe, who made his Major League debut with the San Diego Padres in 2016, played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, and Cincinnati Reds before joining Kansas City last year. As a right-handed slugger with 192 career home runs across 10 seasons, he has recorded over 20 home runs in each of the six seasons from 2017 to 2023, excluding the shortened 2020 season due to COVID-19.

In December 2023, Renfroe signed a two-year, $13 million free agent contract with Kansas City, but his performance declined afterward. Last year, he had a batting average of .229 over 120 games (385 at-bats, 88 hits), with 15 home runs, 52 RBIs, and an OPS of .689, which fell short of expectations. He dealt with injuries affecting his toe, back, and hamstring.

Renfroe, who had a player option for 2025, stayed with Kansas City this year under the condition of a $7.65 million salary. The team hoped for a rebound, but the results were disastrous. This season, he batted .182 over 35 games (99 at-bats, 18 hits), with no home runs, 4 RBIs, and an OPS of .483. Although he seemed to revive with a batting average of .316 over the last six games (19 at-bats, 6 hits) and an OPS of .824, he ultimately faced DFA and parted ways with Kansas City.

On the 19th, Kansas City also designated veteran relief pitcher Chris Stratton (35) for assignment and released him on the 23rd after he cleared waivers. Stratton had signed a two-year, $8 million free agent contract with Kansas City in December 2023, with a salary of $4.5 million this year, about 610 million won. However, he left the team after showing a steep decline this season with a record of 12 games (17 innings) with no wins or losses, an earned run average of 7.94, a WHIP of 2.18, and a batting average against of .377.

It's not an easy decision for a small-market team to release two high-salary players mid-season within a week. However, Piccolo stated, "This year we are aiming for the division title. Releasing a player with guaranteed salary is a difficult decision, but sometimes we have to make the best choice for the team. I believe sending off these two players is the best decision for us at this point, both now and for the future. The players we have called up will be with the team for a long time for its future."

As of the 24th, Kansas City is cruising with a season record of 28 wins and 24 losses (winning percentage of .538). They rank fourth in the American League (AL) Central but are third in the AL for the wild card, remaining competitive for the postseason. While it's unfortunate to waste salary, it was an unavoidable decision in terms of team strength.

Pitcher Jonathan Boland (29), who was called up after Stratton's release, is contributing to the bullpen with a record of 1 win and an earned run average of 1.80 over 3 games (5 innings). Loftin, who replaced Renfroe, is an infielder with two seasons of Major League experience who has shown growth this season, batting .295 over 40 games in Triple-A (139 at-bats, 41 hits), with 4 home runs, 24 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases, and an OPS of .919.

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