That the Yankees need another outfielder is not something I thought was going to be the case. It is.
Why Benintendi?
What's one thing that the Yankees need to do? Get an outfielder. 100%.
Is Aaron Hicks hitting better this week? Yes. But, he's still a liability.
Is Joey Gallo hitting better this week? Yes. But, he's also a liability.
Look at these stats:
.230/.352/.276 (.628 OPS/87 OPS+) with a +0.1 bWAR
.190/.287/.367 (.655 OPS/89 OPS+) with a +0.5 bWAR
Combined, those two players have combined for the same WAR as Isiah-Kiner Falefa. To say he's been underwhelming is pretty clear. Of the options I wanted for shortstop going into the season, IKF is a little behind. J.P. Crawford with the Seattle Mariners has 2.6 bWAR, though Amed Rosario has a 0.5 bWAR. Regardless, IKF has been a fine player for the Yankees so far and his defense is a nice upgrade.
Aaron Hicks is not a great defender anymore. Joey Gallo hasn't been a great defender this year.
Aaron Hicks is not a great hitter. Joey Gallo is not a great hitter.
I have a solution:
Andrew Benintendi.
Andrew Benintendi is hitting to a .316/.380/.411 (.792 OPS/128 OPS+) extended triple-slash this year. He's at a +1.6 bWAR.
Andrew Benintendi was a gold glove winner last season (and to be fair, so was Joey Gallo).
Andrew Benintendi was a part of the American League East for a number of years. He was a former Boston Red Sox (and must want to get revenge for their trading him away). Andrew Benintendi only has one year left on his contract. Andrew Benintendi is a left-handed hitter. Andrew Benintendi is a former top-prospect in the MLB. Andrew Benintendi has a fun name.
If the point isn't clear enough now, I don't think it will ever be. All signs point to Andrew Benintendi being a good player for the Yankees to go after.
So, how do we make this happen?
Andrew Benintendi is worth just +11.5 MTV from BaseballTradeValues.com. The Yankees can do more than enough to get him. Joey Gallo is worth +7.5 MTV. Trade him to another team to get back a prospect and trade him to the Royals. Add in a player like Beck Way (+4.6 MTV), Yohendrys Gomez (+4.0 MTV), or Antonio Gomez (+3.7 MTV) and the values just about work out.
Would you trade Joey Gallo and a prospect you've probably never heard of for a clear outfield upgrade? A guy who can get consistent hits? A guy who will be able to get a hit when there are runners in scoring position?
Make it happen today. Make it happen tomorrow. Make it happen as I head to the game tonight.
Andrew Benintendi is the name of the trade deadline.
Andrew Benintendi.
