The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired OF Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for minor leaguers RHP Chandler Champlain, LHP T.J. Sikkema and RHP Beck Way.
Benintendi, 28, has hit .320/.387/.398 (111-for-347) with 40R, 14 doubles, 2 triples, 3HR, 39RBI and 4SB in 93 games this season with Kansas City. The 2022 American League All-Star entered today ranking second in the Majors in multi-hit games (34, first in the AL), fifth in batting average (third in the AL), tied for seventh in hits (tied for second in AL) and eighth in on-base percentage (fifth in the AL).
The left-handed hitter has reached base in 31 of his last 33 games with an at-bat since June 14, batting .360/.430/.416 (45-for-125) with 19R, 4 doubles, 1HR, 17RBI, 16BB and 4SB in that span. Over that stretch, Benintendi leads the AL and ranks third in the Majors in on-base percentage and ranks second in the AL and fourth in the Majors in batting average.
He has also hit safely in 19 of his last 22 starts (since June 27), batting .398/.457/.434 (33-for-83) with 12R, 3 doubles, 14RBI, 10BB and 3SB in that span.
The 2021 Gold Glove Award winner has made 89 starts in left field this year and has not made an error in 164 total chances. His 40 outfield assists since 2017 are tied for the fourth-most in the Majors in that span.
Over seven Major League seasons with the Boston Red Sox (2016-20) and Kansas City Royals (2021-22), he has batted .280 (749-for-2,677) with 382R, 160 doubles, 17 triples, 71HR, 372RBI, 296BB and 65SB in 712 career games. In his career, he has hit .324/.410/.491 (203-for-627) with 45 doubles, 9 triples, 14HR, 284RBI and 109BB with runners in scoring position.
Benintendi has made the postseason three times (2016-18 with the Red Sox), hitting .272/.322/.407 (22-for-81) with 18R, 5 doubles, 2HR, 9RBI and 5BB in 21 career postseason games. In 2018, he started 13 of 14 playoff games for the Red Sox during their World Series campaign.
The Cincinnati, Ohio, native was originally selected by the Boston Red Sox in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Arkansas. He was acquired by the Kansas City Royals along with cash considerations as part of a three-team trade involving the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets on February 10, 2021. The Red Sox received OF Franchy Cordero and two players to be named (RHP Luis De La Rosa and RHP Grant Gambrell) from Kansas City and RHP Josh Winckowski and a player to be named from New York. The Mets received OF Khalil Lee from Kansas City.
Champlain, 23, made his professional debut this season with Single-A Tampa, going 2-5 with a 4.30 ERA (73.1IP, 72H, 38R/35ER, 19BB, 94K, 11HR) in 16 games (15 starts). The Mission Viejo, Calif., native was drafted by the Yankees in the ninth round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Southern California. The right-handed pitcher was originally selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the 38th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft but did not sign.
Sikkema, 24, went 1-1 with a 2.48 ERA (36.1IP, 21H, 12R/10ER, 9BB, 54K, 3HR) in 11 games (10 starts) with High-A Hudson Valley this season. Over two minor league seasons (2019, ’22) in the Yankees organization, the left-handed pitcher went 1-1 with a 2.11 ERA (47.0IP, 27H, 13R/11ER, 10BB, 67K, 3HR) in 15 game (14 starts). The Clinton, Iowa, native was originally drafted by the Yankees in Competitive Balance Round A of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Missouri.
Way, 22, went 5-5 with a 3.73 ERA (72.1IP, 55H, 32R/30ER, 26BB, 80K, 9HR) in 15 starts with High-A Hudson Valley this season. Over two minor league seasons (2021-22) in the Yankees organization, the right-handed pitcher went 9-8 with a 3.85 ERA (135.2IP, 96H, 61R/58ER, 64BB, 163K, 14HR) in 34 games (33 starts). The Harrisburg, Pa., native was originally drafted by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft out of Northwest Florida State College.
