Andrew Benintendi was traded late Wednesday night to the Kansas City Royals.
The three-team transaction saw the Boston Red Sox receive five players total in a package for the outfielder they drafted in 2015. But chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom admitted this was a tough move to make.
It would be hard for fans not to get sentimental about Benintendi’s game-saving catch in the 2018 American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros, or any of his other memorable plays from that World Series run.
In his introductory press conference with the Royals, Benintendi vowed he’d always have a special connection with Boston. But nostalgia and baseball romance aside, the last two seasons for the 26-year-old weren’t what was expected from him.
Looking back, he has an idea of what contributed to his slump.
“There was an effort on my end to get the ball in the air more,” Benintendi said, via MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “At the time, I think that’s where the game was. It might be getting away from that a little bit now, but it was power. I was going up there trying to hit for more power. I’m 5-foot-9, 175 pounds so I know I’m not going to be up there hitting 30 homers a year. Now, I kind of understand the player I am and the player I want to be. Physically, I feel like I’m back to where I need to be. The swing feels good. It’s about putting it all together.”
In 2019, Benintendi had a .266 batting average, a career-low to that point until he batted .103 in an abbreviated season that ended early for him after just 14 games.
In an August loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, Benintendi fell down between base paths. The injury originally was ruled as a strained right rib cage, but later a few fractures were revealed and Benintendi was shut down for the season.
“I tripped around my own feet going around second base. It was a rib strain but there were a couple fractures. I’m feeling great now, back to 100%.”
We hope that’s true and wish him the best.
