The New York Yankees might be the best team in MLB this season, but the franchise knows better than to sit back ahead of the trade deadline. The Yankees announced on Thursday that they had acquired All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi in a trade with the Kansas City Royals.
Benintendi, who made his first All-Star appearance this year, is batting a career-best .320 with three home runs and 39 RBIs in 2022. In order to get him to New York, Yankees minor league pitchers Chandler Champlain, T.J. Sikkema, and Beck Way.
Benintendi will become a free agent after this season, but the Yankees were willing to take the risk. The 28-year-old player adds depth to the team’s outfield that will allow them to have a strong end of the regular part of the campaign while also being a potential x-factor in the postseason. He also provides cover for Giancarlo Stanton, who recently landed on the 10-day injured list.
“Benintendi is a great hitter,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “Gets on base at a really high clip. Hits from the left side, so, yeah, give you some balance.”
Andrew Benintendi spent the first five years of his career with the Boston Red Sox, where he was part of the World Series-winning team in 2018. He was traded to the Royals ahead of the 2021 season and went on to become one of the team’s best players in a short period of time. Benintendi’s MLB career stats include a .279 batting average, 71 home runs, and 372 RBIs.
