The Boston Red Sox sent Andrew Benintendi to the Kansas City Royals in Wednesday in a three-group exchange that likewise incorporated the New York Mets, leaving behind the last individual from the outfield threesome that assisted Boston with winning the 2018 World Series.
The Red Sox exchanged Benintendi alongside an unknown measure of money to the Royals for outfielder Franchy Cordero and two players to be named later. Boston additionally got small time right-gave pitcher Josh Winckowski and a player to be named later from the Mets. The Mets got outfield prospect Khalil Lee from the Royals.
“For our fans, this is not the first time in the last year they’ve seen an important player leave,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters in a conference call late Wednesday night after the deal was announced. “I know it’s tough. I know it’s painful.”
Benintendi, 26, driven all players with 15 runs during Boston’s 2018 postseason run, when he joined Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. in the Red Sox outfield. Betts, who was the American League MVP that season, was exchanged to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a compensation dump the previous spring, and Bradley is a free specialist who stays unsigned.
“I wouldn’t have predicted it, but we are where we are,” Red Sox general manager Brian O’Halloran said.
Bloom has said that Bradley could in any case return under the correct arrangement.
“We remain hopeful we will be able to find a fit with Jackie,” Bloom said, “and also recognize that might not happen.”
The No. 7 in general pick in the 2015 draft, Benintendi was second in AL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2017. He batted .290 with 16 homers and 87 RBIs while assisting Boston with winning an establishment record 108 customary season games and the World Series in 2018.
In any case, his numbers dropped off a little the following year and a ton in the pandemic-abbreviated 2020 season, when he batted just .103. He additionally played just 14 games, arriving on the harmed list Aug. 12 due to a stressed right rib confine, with the Red Sox later decision him out for the year.
In all, he batted .273 with 51 grand slams, 260 RBIs and 53 taken bases for Boston; his 32 outfield helps are the most in baseball in the course of recent years.
Sprout said he had confidence Benintendi would ricochet back.
“Andrew’s coming off two years that he was capable of more than he showed on the field,” he said. “Last year I was optimistic about Andrew, and I still am.”
He has one year staying on a two-year, $10 million arrangement came to in February 2020 preceding he gets qualified for discretion in 2022 and a free specialist in 2023.
Cordero, 26, was restricted to 16 games in 2020 in light of wounds, hitting .211 with two grand slams and seven RBIs in 38 plate appearances subsequent to being gained from the San Diego Padres. He is a profession .236 hitter with 12 homers in 95 games, and can play every one of the three outfield positions.
Winckowski, 22, was positioned as the No. 20 possibility in the Mets’ framework by Baseball America. He was a fifteenth round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016. He was the Northwest League Pitcher of the Year and a postseason All-Star while with Class A Vancouver in 2018. He arrived at Advanced A ball in 2019 and has a 3.35 ERA and 1.297 WHIP in the minors.
Lee was drafted by the Royals in the third round in 2016 and was named a Baseball America Rookie All-Star for his play that year in tenderfoot ball. He arrived at Double-An out of 2018 and 2019, and played in the Puerto Rican Winter League the previous two years. He has a .256 normal in the lower levels with 37 grand slams and 192 RBIs in 1,719 plate appearances.