Boston Red Sox: Moving on from the Andrew Benintendi era

Two seasons ago, the Boston Red Sox had a trio of players who were supposed to roam the outfield at Fenway Park for many seasons to come. Now, it’s entirely possible all three could be in different uniforms in 2021.

The most recent to go, following the trade of Mookie Betts last offseason, is Andrew Benintendi. Benintendi was traded to the Kansas City Royals as part of a three-team trade earlier this week.

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Now that he joins Betts in the “former member of the Red Sox” club, Benintendi will only appear at Fenway in the foreseeable future as a member of a visiting team.

Jackie Bradley Jr., the third member of this once proud triumvirate, remains a free agent, though there is speculation he could be signed now that Benintendi is gone.

Betts. Benintendi. Bradley. Together, they formed the dream outfield for fans of the Boston Red Sox. They weren’t the original “Killer B’s”, as this moniker belonged to a trio from yesteryear.

While the nickname may have been assigned across various outlets, the three outfielders for Boston were purveyors of fun, defense, and embraced the entire “Win, Dance, Repeat” movement. Together, they were World Series champions, bringing joy to fans and talent to the field.

Benintendi played parts of five seasons for the Red Sox, making his debut in the 2016 season.

And while he slugged 20 home runs and had 90 runs batted in 2017, 2018 may have been his finest season.

The trajectory slowed slightly in 2019, however, and crashed altogether last season, in which Benintendi was hampered by an injury to his rib cage. The young outfielder appeared in only 14 games in the shortened 2020 season, batting .103 in 52 plate appearances.

Was this a down year or an aberration of things to come? It was hoped that the Red Sox would not give up on him, especially with two years of team control remaining on his contract. Things could turn around and he might have remained a focal point of this team for years to come.

Instead, a team is left to think about what might have been, especially if Benintendi bounces back.

Boston Red Sox: A new-look outfield

A lot of new faces will be in the Boston clubhouse when spring training begins. There are plenty of new acquisitions, including in the outfield.

Alex Verdugo, Boston’s best player in 2020, will lock down one spot. New teammates Hunter Renfroe and Franchy Cordero, who was acquired in the Benintendi trade, will be among those competing for a starting spot in the outfield.

Renfroe and Cordero can both hit for power, which is needed for the Red Sox. Though he slumped last season with the Tampa Bay Rays, Renfroe averaged 28 home runs between 2017-19 with the San Diego Padres. Cordero has potential that has yet to be tapped, appearing in only 95 games in four seasons.

Bradley would be a perfect addition to this mix. He is still one of the best defensive outfielders in the game and, as much as his offense has been derided over the years, can produce on offense. Bradley is coming off of one of his best seasons at the plate, hitting .283 with an OPS+ of 118.

It’s been such an uneven offseason for the Red Sox, there’s no telling if they make the move to bring Bradley back or not. He can provide valuable leadership to this team and mentor Renfroe and Cordero are the intricacies of playing the outfield at Fenway Park.

Benintendi could have done this as well and it’s unfortunate he won’t get to prove his worth in the red, white, and navy blue of the Red Sox. The outfield of the future may now be the outfield of the past, but there’s always the World Series memories to hold onto. There’s always that.