Red Sox keen on extending Andrew Benintendi this offseason
As the Red Sox look to the future, many star players’ contracts are running low on fumes. However, a surprise extension could occur very soon.
With a number of Red Sox superstars, such as 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts, ace Chris Sale and star shortstop Xander Bogaerts, all requiring large-scale commitments, if they’re going to remain in Boston, one contract situation that hasn’t really been mentioned is that of outfield sensation Andrew Benintendi. With the young star’s contract under team control for the upcoming season, a contract extension was always a likely thing to happen.
No one can say for certain what type of deal Benintendi would get, but, not wanting to lose Benintendi, the Sox will have to commit to a deal that would have implications on other business that they wish to do. Benny’s been earning minor league money up until now, but after his performances for the Red Sox, especially over the last year, he can expect a hell of a lot more than six-figures a season.
NBC Sports Boston reporter, Evan Drellich, posted an article on Sunday afternoon highlighting the Red Sox’s decision to start participating in extension talks with Benintendi:
While free agency creeps along and the Red Sox continue their pursuit of relief pitching, the team too has actively tried to lock up at least one member of its core via an extension https://t.co/UHQ5DVNTWX
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) January 7, 2019
With the Red Sox enduring a quiet offseason, so far, after what certainly wasn’t a quiet 2018 season, any movement like this will come as big news. The Sox don’t have much business to get done in terms of roster moves, however, an extension for one of their star players would go down very well within Red Sox Nation.
The priority from now on will be to keep the likes of Benintendi, Betts, Sale, Bogaerts, and Martinez in Boston for as long as possible. For whatever time they can keep players such as these, they’ll remain a contender for the World Series.
With no talk on extending their high-profile players, thus far, signing Benintendi to a long-term deal, in the coming weeks, appears to be a wise choice. He’s proven that he’s a more-than-capable hitter, with a swing as pretty as any to watch. On top of this, his defensive game doesn’t even have to be mentioned after everybody saw his Air Jordan-esque leaping catch at Fenway and, of course, his ALCS ending play.
Finishing the season with 16 home runs and 87 RBI, Benny was surprisingly 4 HRs and 3 RBI short of his 2017 numbers. His 2017 season can, perhaps, be overshadowed at times by a World Series winning year, however, the left fielder has put up two fantastic years now and at 24-years-old he’ll only continue to get better. Especially playing with the players he does, alongside the likes of Betts and superstar defender Jackie Bradley Jr. in Fenway’s outfield.
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On such a star-studded team it’s so easy to forget a lot of things a player brings to the table. Hitting .290, .366, .465 for 2018, Benintendi took his game to the next level, and his potential suggests that he’ll be able to continue to get better. Upon next season, locking him down for the long-term would add trust from the organization towards Benintendi and signal a platform for him to really go on and become great, here. He’s certainly got the capability of being special in this league for a long time and what better place is there than Boston to do this?