The rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees even extends to the major league draft.
Both the Yankees and Red Sox worked out David Renfroe about two weeks before the draft – where New York had the 29th pick in the third round and Boston had the 28th.
Boston pounced on Renfroe, 18, who reminds scouts of Casey Kelly – the Red Sox’ first-round pick in the 2008 draft who’s a pitcher and a shortstop.
Renfroe is cast from the same mold as Kelly in that while at South Panola High School in Mississippi he played shortstop and third base and also pitched.
And that isn’t the extent of the ability for Renfroe, who in mid-August, signed for a $1.4 million bonus that will be spread out over five years.
Renfroe is one of the top quarterbacks in the state – for one of the top high school teams — and could have played the position for Ole Miss where he committed to play baseball preferably as a position player.
The 19-year-old Renfroe, who was the 2008 Division 2-5A Player of the Year as a junior, hit .470 (40-for-85) as a senior with seven homers, 35 RBI and 18 stolen bases.
In the 2008 Under Armour/Baseball Factory All-American Game at Wrigley Field, he belted a home run and struck out five while pitching two innings of relief.
The son of Laddie Renfroe, who played nine years of professional baseball (he pitched in four games for the Cubs in 1991), is considered to have average to above-average power with the potential to add more – especially if (when?) he grows into his body (currently he stands 6-3 and weighs 200 pounds).
Renfroe is rated as having a plus arm, a smooth swing and good bat speed. His speed is rated as a shade above average, his range is considered to be above average and he has shown that he has “soft hands.
In addition, Renfroe also is rated as having “baseball smarts – which means he has a sound knowledge of the game and how it should be played.
A 2009 All-State selection, he hits the ball to all fields and considering his overall athletic ability, he’s been compared by some scouts to New York Mets’ third baseman David Wright.
His fastball, meanwhile, has been timed in the 89-to-93 range. He also has an average breaking ball and a decent changeup.
During his senior year at Panola he was 3-2 with a 2.41 ERA.
Given his high skill level and the fact Ole Miss is ready to welcome him with open arms, negotiations between Renfore and the Red Sox took a while. They wrapped up August 14, one day before the deadline, when Renfroe signed for $1.4 million deferred over five years.
But as his high school baseball coach, Patrick Robey, told MLB.com/l “He wants to be a Boston Red Sox. He’s ready to go play every day.”
Early indications are that Renfroe will continue with the Red Sox as a position player.