Cincinnati Reds release Hunter Renfroe after several disappointing weeks, veteran now free agent

After a disappointing few weeks with the Cincinnati Reds, the team has officially released veteran outfielder Hunter Renfroe, making him a free agent. It's been a rough stretch for Renfroe, who was placed on waivers by the Los Angeles Angels just over two weeks ago only to be claimed by the Reds.

A proven power-hitting outfielder, some experts and fans across the league felt that Hunter Renfroe's addition to the Cincinnati Reds would help the team push for the postseason. This has proven not to be the case as the 31-year-old struggled mightily over his 14 games with the club.

"The Reds announced that they've DFA'd Hunter Renfroe. Renfroe went just 5 for 39 with one homer in 14 games with them" - @TalkinBaseball_

Renfore only appeared in 14 games for the Reds before the team decided that they were better off with him not on the roster. The Reds were aggressive on the waiver wire, grabbing Renfroe from the Los Angeles Angels and Harrison Bader from the New York Yankees.

During his brief stint with the Cincinnati Reds, Renfroe only recorded five hits in his 39 plate appearances with the team, while also adding a home run and four RBIs. His .128 batting average, coupled with his 12 strikeouts was enough for the team to decide that it was best to move on from the eight-year professional.

Now, Renfroe finds himself as a free agent and will be looking to land with a new club with only a handful of games remaining in the regular season. While it would only make sense for a contender to sign Renfroe, however, given the fact that it is past September 1st, he would not be eligible for the postseason.

"Randal Grichuk has slashed .296/.345/.537 since no one claimed him on waivers (the first time). Hunter Renfroe slashed .128/.227/.205 after the Reds claimed him (and subsequently DFA'd him)" - @JeffFletcherOCR

Hunter Renfroe should land with a club for next year if he does not sign before the end of the 2023 season

Renfroe has endured a difficult season with the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds, however, the pending unrestricted free agent should find himself with a new club next year. Throughout his career, the outfielder has posted a .239 batting average with 176 home runs and 450 RBI, which should be enough for a team to take a flier on next year.

A former first-round pick by the San Diego Padres, the veteran has also spent time with the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, and Cincinnati Reds.