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https://theathletic.com/2381397/2021...bout-the-move/

Royals acquire Andrew Benintendi: Answering 5 questions about the move
by
Alec Lewis

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Here’s how the Royals described what they coveted all offseason:

“We need more on-base guys,” general manager Dayton Moore said in September. “We need more quality ABs from two other spots in the lineup.”

“We’d like to get a left-handed bat in the outfield if we can,” Moore said in November.

“I think a left-handed bat would be very helpful,” Moore said in January.

And there you have the broad explanation for Wednesday night’s news. The Royals acquired Andrew Benintendi from the Boston Red Sox in a three-team deal including the New York Mets. Khalil Lee, whom the Royals drafted in 2016, was traded to the Mets; Franchy Cordero, whom the Royals acquired last season from the San Diego Padres in exchange for left-handed reliever Tim Hill, was dealt to Boston. The Royals included two other players to be named later in the deal but did not have to give up one of their young pitching prospects.

This was a move that mirrored most of the Royals’ offseason activity. Months ago, they pinpointed a target. As time passed, they remained in touch and studied up. They then completed a deal, setting up for a more competitive 2021.

That’s the basic formula for how this occurred, but here are five more questions and subsequent answers on the deal.



Why did the Royals make this move?

To reiterate: The Royals wanted a left-handed-hitting outfield bat — a reliable left-handed-hitting outfield bat. Cordero was an option, but he has dealt with numerous injuries over the course of his career.

And that gets to the more big-picture element of this deal.

A couple of months ago, Moore also said this: “Our mindset is going to be to go out and win every single pitch, every inning, every game. That’s the only way we’re ever going to win another championship. You’ve got to expect to win in all aspects.”

Expecting to win requires reliability, and though prospects Lee, Nick Heath and Kyle Isbel had shown promise in recent years, none was remotely close to as reliable as Benintendi.

“It fits perfectly,” Moore said Wednesday night, mentioning Jorge Soler, Whit Merrifield, Adalberto Mondesi and Salvador Pérez, four players in whom the Royals are confident. “We wanted to add to that group with Carlos Santana, Mike Minor, Michael A. Taylor and now Benintendi.”

What will Benintendi bring to the table?

The 26-year-old has played five seasons in the big leagues. He won a World Series in 2018. And in college at Arkansas he won the Golden Spikes Award. That’s the historical context.

More recently in 2020, Benintendi struggled. He played in 14 games, posting a .442 OPS. A right rib cage strain shut him down in August, ending his season, but those 52 plate appearances did not concern the Royals.

“We believe in the player,” Moore said. “He’s performed at every level. We’re confident he can get back to his accustomed level. He’s just entering his prime, and we know from our information he’s worked his tail off this offseason. He’s in great shape.”

The Royals assuredly view Benintendi’s ability in the context of his entire career. He’s posted a 107 OPS+ in 1,837 total at-bats (a .273/.353/.435 slash line). Among active Royals hitters, only Santana (31.4), Pérez (24.2) and Merrifield (14.1) have higher career WAR than Benintendi (9.8).

Benintendi won’t become a free agent until 2023, meaning the Royals have two seasons of control. The Royals haven’t yet had extension conversations. They want their newly acquired player to get settled first. But, as Moore often says, the Royals will work to keep talented players in Royals blue for an extended period of time.

Where will Benintendi fit?

The Royals’ outfield is finally filled out: Merrifield will play in right field, Taylor will start in center and Benintendi will get the nod in left field, where he’s played 425 career games.

Benintendi has wavered in his defensive production throughout his career. For reference, Alex Gordon, who is inarguably one of the best defensive outfielders of all time, posted a plus-12 defensive runs saved in 2018, per FanGraphs. Benintendi, on the other hand, posted a plus-3. Kauffman Stadium’s depth may challenge him, but again, there’s certain reliability that comes with a player as experienced as Benintendi.

Lineup-wise, it’s conceivable to think Benintendi slots somewhere toward the middle-lower half, considering Merrifield, Mondesi, Soler, Pérez, Santana and Hunter Dozier can all do damage. Another byproduct of this deal: The Royals can allow Nicky Lopez to play his typical Gold Glove-caliber defense and have the confidence he can work through ups and downs at the plate.

What did the Royals give up?

Lee has long been an interesting prospect within the Royals’ system. Similar to Cordero, he, too, has suffered a number of injuries in recent years. He has also struggled to loft the ball, and as competitive as the Royals have seen him, there’s a maturity jump the 22-year-old has yet to clear.

There’s also the fact the Royals have another left-handed-hitting outfield prospect: Isbel.

“We feel really good about Kyle Isbel,” Moore said Wednesday night. “It wouldn’t shock us a bit if he forces his way on this field sooner than later. He’ll get that opportunity as long as he’s producing in the minors and forcing our hand.”

For years, Royals scouts have compared Isbel to Benintendi. There’s a naturalness in the way both players play. Maybe Benintendi bridges the gap for when Isbel is truly ready. Or maybe they’ll play together, given Merrifield is 32 years old.

“There’s room for both of those guys in the lineup someday,” Moore said.

A minimum of two years for Benintendi also allows development time for soon-to-be 18-year-old Erick Pena.

What does this mean for where the Royals are in their competitive window?

“We believe we can win,” Moore said Wednesday night.

He wasn’t talking about 2022 or 2023 or beyond. No, he was talking about this year. About the season that is slated to begin April 1.

That’s why the Royals signed Santana, an on-base machine who has won an American League pennant. That’s why they added Taylor, who can roam the swaths of grass in center field and has won a World Series. That’s why they added Minor, who has MLB playoffs experience, and Greg Holland, too. This move was simply an extension to that.

“He’s a proven talent,” Moore said of Benintendi. “He’s been a part of the playoffs. He’s a proven winner. He gets on base. He does a lot of things you need players to do in your lineup if you’re going to win.”

Asked about the influence owner John Sherman had on the move, Moore said they had detailed conversations throughout the process. Sherman was supportive, as he so often has been. Within the answer, though, Moore delved deeper into the current psyche of the organization, which was cemented by Wednesday night’s move.

“This is a winning culture,” he said. “We have a terrific manager. We have an unbelievable fan base that expects us to put a competitive team on the field. We’ve won World Championships. We’ve been to back-to-back World Series. We’ve proven as a group that we can accomplish some very special and unique things. … We just focus on what we do, not what anybody else has done or done in the past.”