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The former American League Rookie of the Year
runner-up is on the move as the Red Sox have agreed to a
three-team trade, with the outfielder Benintendi being dealt to
the Kansas City Royals, according to multiple reports Wednesday
night.
In exchange, the Royals will reportedly ship outfielder Franchy
Cordero to Boston, in addition to trading outfield prospect
Khalil Lee to the New York Mets. MLB Network also reports that
the Mets will move right-hander Josh Winckowski to Boston as
part of the maneuver. Other players to be named may also be part
of the trade, per reports.
The headliner is Boston's trade of Benintendi, 26, who once was
considered one of the more up-and-coming players in baseball. He
finished second to the New York Yankees' Aaron Judge in the AL
Rookie of the Year race in 2017, thanks to a sterling
full-season debut (20 home runs, 90 RBIs , 20 stolen bases)
after playing 34 games in 2016.
Benintendi set career highs in batting average (.290), steals
(21) and doubles (41) in 2018 among several other categories
while helping the Red Sox to a World Series title. After hitting
16 homers with 87 RBIs in that title-winning campaign, the
left-handed hitter has hit just 13 long balls in the past two
seasons since. The shortened 2020 season was a disaster for
Benintendi, who hit just .103 with no home runs and a single RBI
in 52 plate appearances -- finally being shelved late in the
year with a rib-cage injury.
Cordero, 26, has played in parts of four seasons after making
his big league debut in 2017 with the San Diego Padres, where he
played for three seasons until being dealt to the Royals in
2020. Known for his prodigious power, he has hit 12 home runs
with 36 RBIs and a .236/.304/.433 line in 95 career games and
315 trips to the plate.
Lee, 22, was originally a third-round pick by the Royals in
2016. Known for his speed, he racked up 53 stolen bases while
hitting .264 with eight homers and 51 RBIs in 129 games with AA
Northwest Arkansas in 2019 -- his last minor league action with
the 2020 minor league season canceled over COVID-19 concerns.
Winckowski, 22, was a 15th-round pick by Toronto in 2016, is
18-17 in his minor league career since 2016, with 237 strikeouts
in 263 innings pitched over 54 games (50 starts). He has not yet
pitched past the Class-A level.
--Field Level Media
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