BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox traded Andrew Benintendi to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night, parting with the final member of the outfield trio that helped the team win the 2018 World Series.
The Red Sox sent Benintendi along with an unspecified amount of cash to the Royals for Franchy Cordero and two players to be named. Boston also received minor league right-handed pitcher Josh Winckowski and a player to be named from the New York Mets. The Mets received outfielder Khalil Lee from the Royals.
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Benintendi was second in AL Rookie of the Year balloting in ’17. In all, he has batted .273 with 51 home runs, 260 RBIs and 53 stolen bases for Boston; his 32 outfield assists is the most in baseball over the past four years.
Benintendi, 26, led all players with 15 runs during Boston’s 2018 postseason run, when he joined Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. in the Red Sox outfield. Betts was traded to the Dodgers in a salary dump last spring, and Bradley is a free agent who remains unsigned.
Cordero, 26, has a .236 average and 12 homers in 95 games with the San Diego Padres and Royals. Winckowski, 22, was ranked as the No. 20 prospect in the Mets system by Baseball America. He was a 15th round pick by Toronto in 2016.
