Outfielder Rob Refsnyder met with a delegation of South Korean baseball officials in New York on Friday to discuss the possibility of playing for Team Korea in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He was asked if he’d be comfortable being placed on a preliminary 50-player roster for possible inclusion on the team that will take part in the WBC.
“I think they’re kind of gauging interest and then logistics if we’re gonna go forward,” said Refsnyder. “It was a good meeting.”
Refsnyder was born in South Korea but came to the States for adoption as a newborn and grew up in California. He’s never been to Korea since, but hopes to visit the country — possibly as part of the Korea Series between MLB and Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) players scheduled for November. Refsnyder has been invited to take part in the Korea Series but is still deciding whether or not to participate, as his wife is expecting the couple’s second child next month.
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Refsnyder, 31, is hitting .309/.386/.493 with five homers this year for the Red Sox, including a .367/.420/.600 mark against lefties. If invited to take part in the WBC, part of his decision-making calculus will be his status with the Red Sox for 2023. Though Refsnyder’s performance suggests a likely return, he does not take a roster spot for granted after having changed organizations in each of the last five offseasons.
“You never know,” said Refsnyder. “Fingers crossed, we have a little bit of clarity, but you never know in this business. … I would love to come back.”
Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @alexspeier.