Benintendi Traded To Royals As Part of Three-Team Deal

The Red Sox traded outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Royals on Wednesday as part of a three-team trade with Kansas City and the Mets.

Boston received outfielder Franchy Cordero and two players to be named later from the Royals and right-hander pitcher Josh Winckowski and a player to be named later from the Mets.

Benintendi, 26, capped a stellar 2018 season (.290/.366/.465) with a remarkable, game-ending catch against the Astros in ALCS Game 4, giving the Red Sox a 3-1 lead rather than having the series tied 2-2. 

.@RedSox radio broadcaster Joe Castiglione got so excited during the final play, he literally fell out of his seat.

Can you believe it? 😂 😂 😂 pic.twitter.com/HdMe6upUpF

— MLB (@MLB) October 18, 2018

Benintendi slumped in 2019 (.266/.343/.431) and went 4-for-39 last year before a right rib injury ended his season. His value was at an all-time low, so what the Red Sox got back will not likely get your heart fluttering.

Cordero, 26, appeared in 79 games over three seasons in San Diego (2017-19), hitting .240/.306/.431 for a league-average 99 OPS+. He had 42 plate appearances for the Royals in 2020, hitting only .211/.286/.447, with some power.

Winckowski will turn 23 on June 28 and pitched in A+ ball in 2019. (There were no minor league seasons in 2020.) He was in Toronto's system until two weeks ago, when he was sent to the Mets in the Steven Matz deal.