Red Sox Trade Andrew Benintendi to Royals in 3-Team Deal With Mets

Report: Red Sox trading Andrew Benintendi to Royals in 3-team deal with Mets originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It's finally happened: The Boston Red Sox traded Andrew Benintendi.

The team announced Wednesday night that it had completed a three-team deal with the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets. The 26-year-old outfielder will head to Kansas City, with outfielder Franchy Cordero and two players to be named later coming to Boston in return.

Additionally, the Red Sox receive minor league right-handed pitcher Josh Winckowski and another player to be named later from the Mets.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported earlier Wednesday night that the Red Sox had agreed to trade Benintendi to the Royals pending approvals and medicals.

Benintendi's name had been the subject of trade rumors and speculation for months.

He was once a top prospect and played well in his first two full seasons with Boston, helping the franchise win the World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018. He also made an amazing diving catch with the bases loaded for the final out in Game 4 of the 2018 American League Championship Series versus the Houston Astros.

Unfortunately for the Red Sox, Benintendi struggled in 2019 and his performance regressed. He managed to play just 14 games in 2020 due to injury. 

Benintendi finishes his Red Sox career with a .273 batting average, 51 home runs, 260 RBI and a .353 on-base percentage in 485 regular season games.

He is under contract for $6.6 million in 2021, per Spotrac, and has another year of arbitration in 2022 before he can become an unrestricted free agent.

Cordero, also 26, has appeared in 95 games at the major league level, spending time with the San Diego Padres before joining the Royals. He has 67 hits in 284 at-bats, averaging .236, with 12 home runs.

Winckowski is 22 and was the Mets' 20th-ranked prospect, via Baseball America. He reached the high-A level in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization in 2019.