In the aftermath of a series sweep by the New York Mets, the Yankees have a jolt of energy in the outfield by acquiring Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals.
The Yankees sent LHP T.J. Sikkam, RHP Beck Way and RHP Chandler Champlain to the Royals in exchange for the outfielder. Both Sikkam and Way were both Top 25 prospects, so the Royals have something to look forward to for the future. As for Benintendi, this is just another All-Star added to a Yankees clubhouse that has nothing short of World Series aspirations.
Benintendi has been very solid all season, hitting .320/.387/.398 tacking on 14 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 39 RBIs and four stolen bases. He also has 34 multi-hit games which are the best in the AL. He also is third in batting average, second in total hits and sixth in on-base percentage. These numbers earned him his first All-Star nod in July.
Benintendi adds another consistent hitter in the lineup, which according to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, is not a bad thing.
“It’s fake news that we’ve got too many power hitters in the lineup, too many sluggers,” Boone said. “We’ve got savages in the lineup, really good hitters. Benintendi is a great hitter, gets on base at a really high clip, hits from the left side that gives you some balance…. I’ll be excited to write his name.”
“He’s a really good player in the middle of an All-Star season. He’s got a track record of success with the [2018] Red Sox championship run. Obviously, he was a really good player for them, but he’s putting together a really good year for the Royals right now.” he added.
His new teammate in the outfield Aaron Judge also expressed his delight in adding Benintendi to the lineup. “He’s a really good player, I’ve had a chance to play against him for quite a few years when he was playing over in Boston. I’ve seen him do a lot of impressive things. So if that’s true, it’ll be definitely a big piece to what we’ve got going on here.”
Benintendi won’t take a hit on the Yankees’ checkbook either. He is only set to earn $8.5 million this season and will be a free agent at the conclusion of 2022.
