KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A week out of Spring Training and the Royals have themselves a new outfielder.
Thursday night the Roayls announced that they had acquired Andrew Benintendi and cash considerations from the Boston Red Sox.
In return, the Royals are sending players to two teams. Boston will receiver outfielder Franchy Cordero and two players to be named later in return.
And the New York Mets are part of this three-team deal as well. The Mets will receive Royals' prospect and fellow outfielder Khalil Lee.
Benintendi is the centerpiece of the deal. The Cincinnati native is 26-years-old and has spent his entire career with the Red Sox. He only played 14 games in an already shortened 2020 due to an injury. In his last full season with Boston, he hit for a .266 batting average and a .343 on-base percentage. He was tied for fifth in the American League with 40 doubles.
Benintendi was once Baseball America's #1 prospect back in 2017. He was second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting to Aaron Judge that season. Defensively he leads Major League Baseball with 32 outfield assists since 2017.
The Mets also get minor league pitcher Josh Winckowski and a cash or a player to be named later from Boston.
