White Sox add Benintendi on 5-year, $75M deal (sources)
CHICAGO — Andrew Benintendi and the White Sox agreed to a five-year, $75 million deal, Major League sources advised MLB.com on Friday. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers was first with the report, with no affirmation coming from the group.
Benintendi has been a White Sox goal beforehand and was taken by Boston seventh general within the 2015 Draft, which was one decide forward of Chicago deciding on right-handed pitcher Carson Fulmer. The 28-year-old’s deal represents the biggest assured contract given out in franchise historical past, surpassing Yasmani Grandal’s $73 million over 4 years.
It’s additionally a deal that makes the White Sox a greater general group coming into 2023. They had been poor defensively throughout an underwhelming and disappointing 81-81 exhibiting in ‘22, not to mention right-handed dominant throughout their lineup. The left-handed-hitting Benintendi, who won a Gold Glove in ’21, improves the squad in each of these areas.
Eloy Jiménez figures to see most of his time at designated hitter, after making 50 begins in that spot final season. Andrew Vaughn, who was drafted as a primary baseman, will transfer from the outfield to first base with the departure of José Abreu to Houston through free company. The White Sox merely might be higher off with gamers beginning at their pure defensive positions, as talked about just a few instances by basic supervisor Rick Hahn throughout this offseason.
Over stops with the Royals (93 video games, 390 plate appearances) and Yankees (33 video games, 131 plate appearances), Benintendi slashed .304/.373/.399 with 5 house runs, 51 RBIs, eight stolen bases and 54 runs scored in 2022. He was an American League All-Star in ’22 and has connections with present White Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol and Major League discipline coordinator Mike Tosar, who served because the Royals’ bench coach and particular project hitting coach, respectively, final season.
The White Sox weren’t anticipated to spend an excellent deal this offseason, with 10 gamers already on multiyear offers, and Hahn had talked in regards to the commerce route being extra possible on the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas. To date, Chicago has added right-handed starter Mike Clevinger and Benintendi via free company.
Second base stays an open spot for the White Sox, though they’ve in-house choices through Lenyn Sosa, Romy Gonzalez and Leury Garcia, with Garcia considered extra as a utility element and never an on a regular basis participant. Chicago additionally may add within the catching space, with Grandal’s deal reaching its remaining yr in 2023 and Seby Zavala and Carlos Pérez additionally within the image.
