Report: Yankees ‘serious contenders’ to acquire Benintendi originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Will a member of the 2018 World Series champion Boston Red Sox soon be headed to the “Evil Empire”?
Former Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi, now with the Kansas City Royals, has been the subject of trade rumors this season and the New York Yankees reportedly have shown interest in acquiring him. Now, with the MLB trade deadline less than two weeks away, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports the Yankees have “emerged as serious contenders” to land the All-Star.
Benintendi would fill a need for a Yankees club that hasn’t gotten much production from outfielders Joey Gallo and Aaron Hicks. Through 88 games this season for the Royals, Benintendi is hitting a career-high .319 with a .790 OPS.
If the Yankees do acquire Benintendi, there is one significant hurdle they would have to overcome. The 28-year-old currently is ineligible to play in Toronto due to his vaccination status. New York has one more series in Toronto this season and could see the Blue Jays in the playoffs.
Benintendi spent his first five big-league seasons (2016-20) with the Red Sox. He hit .273/.353/.435 with 51 homers in 485 games with Boston.
The MLB trade deadline is set for Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. ET.