For the Boston Red Sox clubhouse, Monday brought more than just a routine roster change. It marked the departure of a respected leader, leaving a void that was immediately felt by his manager and teammates.

Rob Refsnyder’s four-year tenure with the Boston Red Sox has officially come to an end. Soon after he signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Mariners this Monday afternoon, manager Alex Cora and teammate Romy Gonzalez were left devastated.

After the news broke, Cora paid a heartfelt public tribute to the infielder/DH. He shared a photo with him in the dugout and captioned it “Gracias, Refs,” as reported by Boston Strong.

Refsnyder’s teammate and infielder Romy Gonzalez also shared an emotional Instagram story. He posted a photo from the field with Refsnyder and added crying emojis.

Refsnyder, too, is feeling the loss just as deeply, if not even more.

“…Watching my kids grow up and play at Fenway, both before and after work, will be some of my fondest memories.” – part of his tribute message to Red Sox Nation read. “A big thank you to the coaching staff, medical team, clubhouse staff, and everyone in the organization who has helped me along the way. And lastly, thank you to my Sox teammates for putting up with me. I’ve learned so much from all of you.”

As overwhelming as it is for him to leave Fenway, he’s excited for his upcoming journey, too. After all, his love for Seattle has been there since childhood.

As a kid, he used to play N64 MLB Baseball for hours, featuring Ken Griffey Jr., pretending he was on the team.

Meanwhile, his absence has left a noticeable void for the Red Sox because the 34-year-old is among the most effective hitters against left-handed pitching. Beyond that, he was widely respected as a steady, influential leader for the team.

He made the most of his four-year stretch in Boston. Over 309 games, he has hit .276 and belted 27 home runs, primarily in a platoon role. With left-handers on the other side, the team often leaned on him near the top of the lineup or in the cleanup spot.

Now with Refsnyder gone and Jhostynxon Garcia traded, it’s not certain who will step in as the Red Sox’s next option in the fourth outfielder role. Masataka Yoshida could be a possibility. But then, the Red Sox have largely avoided using him in the outfield over the past two seasons.

Against left-handers, in particular, Willson Contreras should give Boston a boost. Yet, it doesn’t fully fix what they’ve lost. Only Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt (players from Boston’s archrival, of course) have been more effective than Refsnyder in most games.

But for the Red Sox, letting Rob Refsnyder walk wasn’t simply about avoiding his salary.

How will Rob Refsnyder’s departure shape the Red Sox’s future?

Moving forward, Boston appears ready to give Wilyer Abreu a real opportunity to prove he can handle left-handed pitching.

Across his first two full major league seasons, Abreu has two Gold Gloves, but the bat against lefties remains the question.

He was rarely used in the lineup against left-handed pitching. He owns only a .589 OPS in 145 plate appearances against southpaws. Even then, Abreu brings so much to the table overall that it makes sense for the Red Sox to use him more.

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Meanwhile, Alex Cora believes in aggressive platooning. And the Red Sox leaned on it too heavily last season. Of course, it was partly out of necessity.

So, in two of the three playoff games, Abreu found himself on the bench while utility man Nate Eaton started in right field. That showed that the Red Sox didn’t fully trust Abreu against left-handed pitching.

The Red Sox also have Romy Gonzalez. Throughout last season, he went toe-to-toe with Refsnyder. He posted a .978 OPS against left-handers and showed he can do well as a short-side platoon bat.

The Refsnyder–Gonzalez tandem paid off at times, but it also left the bench thin on days when the Red Sox faced mostly right-handed pitching.

In all, Refsnyder’s departure will be felt immediately in the clubhouse. But losing a reliable player can sometimes open the door for others to step up. And here, it may ease Boston’s roster logjam a bit and bring out the best in the group that remains.