The Royals was in talks with the Red Sox (and up to six other teams) about the potential takeover Andrew Benintendi since November, said assistant general manager JJ Picollo in an interview with Quinn Riley from Bostonsportswave.com. Another Royals assistant GM, Scott Sharp, did a lot of legwork in terms of keeping Boston on the line, according to Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star.
Despite the Royals’ belief in Franchy Corderopower potential of – Picollo invoked the name of David Ortiz compared to a late blooming power bat – Benintendi adapts best to your club’s needs. To replace the legendary Alex Gordon on the left, the Royals explored a pact with Jurickson Profar, Digno notes. But the Fathers’ three-year commitment to Profar turned out to be a more expensive acquisition than Benintendi in terms of pure dollars, especially as Boston is investing in cash to help with its $ 6.6 million salary this season.
The Royals plan to use Benintendi near the top of the order, probably in the double hole. The Royals have a remarkable need for skill at the base – Kansas City finished tied for 26th at the Majors with a base percentage of 0.309 – and while Khalil Lee it looked like a potential internal candidate to bring those skills to the table, Benintendi, 26, is the most proven commodity. Even considering the issues surrounding his recent performance and decline in foot speed, Benintendi maintained his ability to enter the base with a career walk rate of 10.5% solidly above average. At the very least, Benintendi was too patient in 2020, when his rate of change dropped to 44.5%, although he also saw fewer strikes than ever, with only a 44.1% zone rate in the extremely small sampling season. .
Regarding Lee, the Royals never spoke directly to the Mets about their quick, young outfield perspective. This part of the business was entirely designed by Boston, writes Ken Davidoff and Mike Puma of the New York Post. The Red Sox know the Mets’ GM Zack Scott well, considering his 16 years in the Boston organization, and they knew of his long-standing interest in Lee as a prospect. The Royals were aware of the involvement of another team, but did not know about Lee’s final destination until about 90 minutes before the deal was finalized.