Andrew Benintendi’s Tenure in Boston is Likely Over

If you have been keeping up with the MLB off-season, you know that it has never been slower. Deals are just not getting done and free agents continue to go unsigned. Because of this, you have probably heard the news that Andrew Benintendi, a once-promising prospect, is likely going to be on a team not named the Boston Red Sox by the end of this weekend.

Rival executive familiar with Red Sox thinking said he would be "shocked" if Andrew Benintendi wasn't traded before the end of the weekend.-- Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand)January 13, 2021

Rival executive familiar with Red Sox thinking said he would be "shocked" if Andrew Benintendi wasn't traded before the end of the weekend.

Benintendi is currently 26 years old. He is supposed to be entering what many consider to be the prime of his career. Since breaking into the big leagues in 2016, he has not lived up to the hype. He is sporting a career slash line of .273/.353/.435. This is actually a pretty good line, but it comes mostly from his 2017 and 2018 seasons. Andrew Benintendi's defensive metrics have also not been in his favor. Each year he becomes a worse defender, covering less ground and even becoming slower.

In 2018, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. They were the best team in baseball on paper and backed it up with their performance on the field. Andrew Benintendi was a big part of that championship roster. He sported a career-best .290 batting average and slugged .465. Since then, he has only gone down in production. In a shortened 2020 season, Benny only played 14 games. In those 14 games, he got four hits and struck out 17 times going a poor 4-39. Not great.

All of this being said, Benintendi has been a fan favorite in Boston. When he's right, he's a sweet-swinging lefty with immaculate flow. Many Red Sox fans do not want to see Benny go, and they even think he can revamp his career in his next two years of control. This is most likely why Boston is looking to trade him. While he may be at a low point, the upside is undeniable.

Benny has tremendous potential. He's a former 1st rounder and Golden Spikes Award winner with the University of Arkansas. Baseball-Reference also projects him to hit .263/.347/.426 in 2021, a huge improvement from 2020. So, GMs around baseball must think highly of Benintendi, but why don't the Red Sox? Maybe because of Chaim Bloom.

The Red Sox, now led by Chaim Bloom, are looking for a change. They hired Bloom to transform the team into a big market version of the Tampa Bay Rays. Bloom wants his own guys and honestly, let him do what he wants. Chaim is responsible for turning Chris Archer into Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows. That is impressive.

Already in 2020, Chaim showed he can make impactful moves. He traded away Mitch Moreland and Kevin Pillar for prospects that are now highly ranked in the Sox farm system. Let Chaim cook. He has a reputation for getting things done and discovering hidden gems.

Do the people who say that Chaim Bloom is going to operate the Red Sox like they're the Rays not realize that the Rays were in the World Series like two months ago?-- Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis)December 17, 2020

Do the people who say that Chaim Bloom is going to operate the Red Sox like they're the Rays not realize that the Rays were in the World Series like two months ago?

The Red Sox have highly touted prospect, Jared Duran to fall back on in the near future. They also just signed Hunter Renfroe to a one-year deal. So, let Chaim Bloom do his thing and trade Andrew Benintendi. Maybe he gets a starting pitcher out of it or possibly a no-name prospect who turns into the real deal in the near future.

Who knows? My only advice to Red Sox fans is to put your trust in Chaim Bloom. We all love Andrew Benintendi, but Chaim has a plan.