3 Most Likely Free Agent Destinations for Andrew Benintendi

MLB free agency has officially opened, giving teams across the league an opportunity to upgrade its rosters by signing proven stars. Outfielder Andrew Benintendi is one of the many players searching for a new home after splitting the 2022 season with the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees.

Benintendi was named to his first All-Star game this past season and has won a Gold Glove in the outfield as well. That combination of feats should make him a coveted target for any squad in need of help beyond the infield. Here's a closer look at three of the most likely landing spots for Benintendi.

Andrew Benintendi Free Agency

3. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates currently own the second-lowest payroll for the 2023 season as they are stuck in the middle of a long rebuild. Adding players that can not only make an impact next summer, but also in future summers has to be the goal for this front office. Benintendi is only 28 years old and reports suggest he could earn a contract that spans three to six years. Not many contending teams are going to want to commit to a player for that long. Benintendi would be the contact hitter this team is missing after he posted a career-best .373 on-base percentage in 2022. It's worth pointing out Pirates general manager Ben Cherington was responsible for drafting Benintendi with the Red Sox back in 2015.

2. Boston Red Sox

Speaking of the Red Sox, Boston is a team to keep an eye on when it comes to Benintendi. The seven-year pro spent the first five seasons of his MLB career hitting at Fenway Park and slashed .273/.353/.435 during that span (485 games). It just so happens that the Red Sox are in need of a reliable outfielder after watching Jackie Bradley Jr. and Enrique Hernandez fail to step up this past season. Benintendi posted a career-best 14.8% strikeout percentage in 2022 and logged 140 hits for the first time since 2019. It's not hard to understand that his production would return to form hitting from the left side of the plate in a ballpark known for its short dimensions in right field.

1. Cleveland Guardians

If there's one team in the AL that needs to address its outfield, it's the Guardians. Cleveland outfielders combined for just 22 home runs this past season and only one of the nine players to make an appearance out there posted a better batting average than Benintendi's mark of .304. Benintendi has shown in the past that he has underrated pop. He smacked 20 home runs in 2018 and 17 home runs in 2021. The Guardians made it to the ALDS despite owning the third-lowest payroll of any team in the majors. It's safe to say they have an opportunity to make it back to or beyond that point with a star outfielder on the roster. Benintendi can be that star outfielder.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.