Red Sox News: Boston and Andrew Benintendi agree on two-year contract

The Boston Red Sox have come to terms with left fielder Andrew Benintendi on a new contract that will keep the defensive dynamo in Beantown through 2021.

There was some positive news tonight for the Fenway Faithful, but not the kind we were expecting. While the Red Sox are stuck in the middle of a massive mess with their right fielder they’ve locked up the man that roams left field.

Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Andrew Benintendi and Boston have come to terms on a 2-year/$10M contract. The deal will net the star defender $3.4M for 2020 and $6.6M for 2021. This is a win for the Red Sox as his salary for this season is less than he was shooting for in arbitration.

During the pre-arbitration number swap, Boston offered Benintendi $3.4M while the lefty asked for $4.15M. With the pair being quite aways apart on their numbers they were set to meet in arbitration. That can all be avoided now as this new deal keeps both from going through the process.

This past season was a nightmare for Benny and he’d be the first to say it. He showed a great level of maturity and professionalism in 2019 when speaking about his quality of play. Benintendi spoke about his regimen this offseason with the goal of rebounding for 2020. If the current blockbuster deal between the Sox, Dodgers, and Twins holds up, Boston will desperately need him at his best.

The left fielder saw a steep decline in every major offensive category in 2019 from the previous year. With a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Red Sox outfield for 2020, this is the chance Benny needs to reach that next level. We’ve seen what he’s capable of and what his best can be, it’s time for him to maintain that level.

Boston got what they wanted as far as Benintendi’s salary for this upcoming season and say he does bounceback, the Sox will be getting him for a steal in 2021. Even if he doesn’t see a massive climb in his stats this season he’ll still get quite a raise for next year.

Mookie Betts has been the center of the baseball world the past few days but Boston needs to continue focusing on the upcoming season. While Chaim Bloom continues to work a deal that will be the best return for Betts, but he also needs to build his 2020 roster. Locking up Benny for the next pair of years is nothing but beneficial for the Red Sox.

More from Red Sox News

• Red Sox Nation deserves far more from Fenway Sports Group
• Bizarre trade deadline comes back to haunt Red Sox after Nathan Eovaldi departure
• Red Sox’ Moneyball-style offseason continues with Corey Kluber contract
• Rich Hill’s Red Sox departure puts him within striking distance of unique MLB record
• Red Sox offseason takes another nasty hit with Nathan Eovaldi departure

As far as the roster is concerned, Andrew Benintendi may not be the most exciting name in the lineup. His defensive prowess is beyond elite and it’s a crime that he has yet to win a Gold Glove. When it comes to his work in the batter’s box, that is where he loses steam. A .266/.343/.431/.774 line in 2019 was incredibly underwhelming, but based on his splits, 2020 could be one hell of a season.

The Red Sox are in the midst of a tumultuous time in their history as they embark on trading a franchise star, again. With all that said, they still have a strong lineup and Andrew Benintendi makes this team better by being on the roster. Much like his fellow outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., what Benny does with his glove is far more important than what he does with a bat

Benny brings great energy and skill to the Red Sox and now that he’s secured for at least the next two years, it’s a sigh of relief. In a day and age when players can be traded at a whim, it’s nice to see the confidence that Boston is showing Benintendi. That confidence may be just what he needs to begin his ascent into being a top-tier left fielder.