MMO Trade Profile: Andrew Benintendi, LF
Position: LF Bats/Throws: L/L Age: 06/07/1994 Traditional Stats: 88 G, 104 H, 3 HR, 39 RBI, .319/.389/.402 Advanced Stats: 2.0 WAR, .351 wOBA, 128 wRC+ Rundown The second half of the 2022 season following the All-Star break has now begun, so all the conversation will now revolve around what the New York Mets plan to do at the trade deadline. […]
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Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Position: LF
Bats/Throws: L/L
Age: 06/07/1994
Traditional Stats: 88 G, 104 H, 3 HR, 39 RBI, .319/.389/.402
Advanced Stats: 2.0 WAR, .351 wOBA, 128 wRC+
Rundown
The second half of the 2022 season following the All-Star break has now begun, so all the conversation will now revolve around what the New York Mets plan to do at the trade deadline. Of course, Washington Nationals’ slugger Juan Soto will be the biggest name that will consistently be mentioned between now and August 2nd. However, there are other notable targets worth keeping an eye one.
One such example is Kansas City Royals’ outfielder Andrew Benintendi. He is just coming off his first-ever trip to the All-Star Game after an impressive first half in 2022. The Mets like to play old-school baseball under manager Buck Showalter, and with manufacturing runs crucial in the postseason, Benintendi would be a nice fit in Queens.
As Brad Pitt, during his portrayal as Billy Beane in the masterpiece that is Moneyball preached, it is all about getting on base and Benintendi has certainly made a habit of doing exactly that in 2022. Through 88 games, the left-handed hitter is slashing .319/.389/.402 with a .790 OPS. He doesn’t hit for power, with just three home runs, but he does get on base with 14 doubles and two triples to go along with 38 walks. His current batting average and on-base percentage are career highs.
His underlying metrics are impressive too. His current 128 wRC+ is a career high and his walk percentage is back up in the double figures (10.3%) after dipping to 6.7% in 2021. His strikeout percentage is also at a career-low 13.9% clip, which again, just underlines what a tough out Benintendi is at the plate.
With 104 hits in 326 at-bats, the 28-year-old is able to make consistent contact at the plate and he’s developed into a real tough out for opposing pitchers. That is the kind of player you need in both a pennant race and in the heat of postseason battle. Shortly after his trade to the Royals from the Red Sox, he changed up his approach to ensure he became a tough at-bat every time he stepped up to the plate.
Sure, that meant sacrificing some power, but with the likes of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and now Daniel Vogelbach in the lineup, you need guys like Benintendi to get on base and manufacture runs. He would give you gritty at bats every single time and his newfound mentality landed him his first trip to the All-Star Game this year. He’s the kind of guy every team needs in the heart of their lineup.
Not only that, but the lefty is a plus-plus fielder. He’s always been elite out in the field and he boasts a superb glove with great instincts. It is worth noting too that Benintendi’s defense has only improved, as illustrated by the Gold Glove he won in 2021 while with the Royals. He had a defensive runs saved (DRS) of seven that season. An extremely strong figure.
It has been a similar story in the field this year for Benintendi. He has been able to make splashy, highlight-reel plays out in left field as well as being able to make the basics of fielding look effortless. Which has, once again, resulted in a positive DRS. A seven-year veteran in the majors, the 28-year-old has proven that he can certainly make a big impact both with the bat and with the glove.
Potential Package
Given that Benintendi is currently playing on an expiring contract, he would be seen as strictly a rental for a contending team. So, therefore, the price to obtain him wouldn’t be too steep. Or maybe it would. Certain reports from the likes of Jon Heyman have indicated that the Royals would want a top prospect in return for the veteran left fielder.
Now, it all depends on what the Royals deem a top prospect and where the line of demarcation is. For instance, there is no way the Mets would give up a Francisco Álvarez or a Brett Baty for a pure rental, and they would probably be very reluctant to give up a player like Mark Vientos or Matt Allan too.
At the end of the day, despite the above report, Benintendi will likely be had for a higher B-level or two type prospect. If he was under team control for past this season? That would be a different story. Though, expect if the Mets were to acquire Benintendi a prospect ranked in the high-single digit, early teens going back the other way.
Raj Mehta/USA Today Sports
Final Thoughts
Benintendi is a throwback to the baseball player of old. He hits for contact, he gets on base a lot, and overall can manufacture runs. Plus, the 28-year-old is a Gold Glove type fielder out in left and he would certainly boost the Mets’ defense. Overall, just an all-around solid player.
In other words, Benintendi is the perfect type of player for an old school manager like Buck Showalter, and he seems to have fitted in well in every clubhouse he’s been in. You know he’s not going to be an easy out at the plate and you know he’s going to be able to pull off game-changing plays out in left field given the high quality of his glove.
Furthermore, there is no doubt this Mets’ offense needs a boost. There were signs of the bats slowing down before the All-Star break, and those signs have only appeared more now the second-half of the season is underway. This offense needs a helping hand and Benintendi could be the player to spark it. Again, he won’t hit for power and he’s not going to mash but what he will do is get on base and allow others to get on base and, therefore, manufacture runs. That’s going to be important in the postseason.
Note, all statistics as of before the All-Star Game.
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