The Red Sox are having top outfield prospect Andrew Benintendi meet the team in Seattle tomorrow, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald writes. The move means Benintendi will skip straight from Double-A Portland, where he’s batted .295/.357/.515 in 263 plate appearances this season, to the big leagues.
Benintendi has relatively little minor-league experience, with just 657 career plate appearances on the farm, but it sounds like the Red Sox are confident his lack of repetitions won’t be a significant hindrance. As GM of the Tigers, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski frequently moved top talents to the Majors quickly, whisking players like Justin Verlander, Andrew Miller, Rick Porcello and Jeremy Bonderman through the minors.
“Maybe,” Dombrowski had said Monday when asked whether Benintendi or fellow top prospect Yoan Moncada could join the team at some point this season. “It could be. They’re close enough that they could be. I’m not making that prediction, but they could be.”
Benintendi had been the subject of some speculation at this year’s trade deadline, but it’s unsurprising the Red Sox were apparently reluctant to move such a blue-chip player. Since the Red Sox picked him with the seventh overall selection in last year’s draft, the University of Arkansas product has rocketed through the Sox’ system, posting a .312/.392/.540 career line in four minor-league stops.
MLB.com currently rates Benintendi the second-best Red Sox prospect (behind only Moncada) and the game’s seventh-best overall prospect, praising him for his left-handed swing, plate discipline and all-around offensive game and noting that he could eventually hit .300 with 20 homers per season. (Heading into the season, Baseball America rated Benintendi the game’s No. 15 prospect.) Benintendi is a bit small, at 5’10 and 170 pounds, but there is no reason to think he can’t be an excellent big-league hitter.
It’s unclear how Benintendi will fit into the Red Sox outfield, which already features two top young players in Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley. Benintendi, who has played mostly center field in the minors, could take over left field and free Brock Holt, who also plays infield, to play other positions. If Benintendi sticks in the big leagues, he could become eligible for arbitration after 2019 and free agency after 2022.
Inevitable.
Now we really got the Killer B’s. Betts, Bradley, Bogaerts, Benintendi.
Too bad no Blake. But I’m sure you’d gladly take the 4.
Swihart will be back once he gets healthy. Hanigan is gone next season and who knows about Leon and Vazquez.
There’s still an option on Hanigan, and if I’m the Red Sox I pick it up. Swihart may not even be healthy again by the end of the year and there’s too many questions with him Leon and Vazquez to just let Hanigan walk.
Back to Catching or back in the OF? Got a Long way to go if he’s going to do catching again.
He’s got a long way to go no matter where he plays. But if Benintendi sticks, the outfield seems unlikely. They need a catcher though, and Swihart is one of the better ones.
Tweener. Defense, as in blocking balls needs work to be a catcher and his bat just doesn’t do enough to play any other position and not sure it will. He’s never really put on any weight since drafted out of HS.
Not in favor of this call up of Benintendi for 1 reason.. They lose 2 seasons where could have held off on having to protect him on the 40 man roster.
If he plays as well as he’s projected… he’ll be extended, and the point about his arbitration clock becomes a moot one. I think large market teams with lots of $ can call up prospects whenever they wish, as oppose to lower revenue teams which may not be able to afford their superstar player.
You mean they’ll try to extend him. It’s far from a guarantee that he’ll accept it.
Red Sox could use a little lift right now. There are currently seven teams with between 56 and 60 wins., and several were active at the trading deadline. It’s not a bad call-up, and he can always be sent back down to stop his clock if he’s not having an impact. This comes from a Yankee’s fan with his nose stuck to the glass…going to be a barren couple of years here.
Good thing were not the rays or A’s where we have to worry about paying a player that has earned a shot in the bigs and hold on to one year of control.
Yes, but if he is as valuable as he is projected to be, the Red Sox have the pockets to keep him either by extension or by re-signing him when he hits free agency. A team like the A’s doesn’t have that luxury.
Its not like the Sox wont be able to afford him or others further down the road…. By the time the core hits FA eligibility (assuming they’re not locked up beforehand)… the bigger contracts will likely be expired or a year away… I.e. Pablo, Porcello, Hanram who will be old too, and Price has opt outs (probably wont take them though)… But for now I’ll take small contracts for four years of Benintendi, JBJ, Betts, Bogey, Shaw, and Erod and compete for rings every year…. Killer B Dynasty
His last name isn’t Blake so isn’t Block if we’re would have mire qiller B’s.
And Buchholz! (hangs head and slowly walks away)
Sorry but the “Killer B’s” is already taken by Betances, Brackman and Banuelos
Actually it was Bonds, Bonilla and Bell.Andrew Brackman is a champ though.
Astros did it like 20 years ago. The nicknames nothing new…
Biggio, Bagwell, and Bell were the Killer B’s.
Killer B’s will always be B. Brian Blair and Jumping Jim Brunzell … just saying
Too bad only 1 of them worked out
You forgot Bentz
Brentz***
A bit surprising. I figured he might get a September cup of coffee if there were too many injuries in the outfield. But an actual audition during a playoff run seems like the Sox are testing him out to be the full time left fielder next year.
They did this with Bogey when he came up so let’s hope it ends the same way
Seems like a bit rushed to me but I’m no GM scout manager or anything
That was my initial thought too. Dombrowski has a track record of bringing up players a bit rushed. I hope things work out for all parties.
Gotta figure Martinez gets DFAed, Holt goes back to a supersub role and Benintendi either starts in left or platoons with Brentz. If Beni can handle ML pitching it would give you much more versatility. Martinez is a very, very bad outfielder.
Well at least you gave him a whole 13 innings before you deemed him a very, very bad outfielder.
He shockingly only needed 13 innings to cost us at least one game out there. Or you can just look at his outfield defensive metrics on fangraphs. I’m relatively certain I’m not the only one that feels this way.
Clearly Ray Ray did not see the fly ball…. I havent even seen u14 aau players track fly balls that badly
My guess is Brentz will be DFA-he should make it through waivers.
The Sox have an overload of OF talent. I have liked Brentz but, I hate to say it, he is a 4 A at this point.
Question is when do they cut ties with Allen Craig. He’s on a rehab assignment @ Lowell.
I am sorry they haven’t given Chris Marrero a shot instead of Brentz–he’s got a 20 HR season and a .280 BA with the Paw Sox
Theres a reason Chris Marrero is in AAA at almost 30 Years old
Oh I forgot about Craig. What a bust he turned out to be
As an O’s fan, it’s definitely unfortunate to see the Sox and Yanks make intelligent moves at the deadline by holding onto high-end prospects/getting more. I miss the days of overpaid, aging stars and mortgaging the farm for deadline deals.
I was loving it when rumors were circulating about the Yanks holding heir chips and making a run this season, and when the Sale rumors got heavy about the Sox making a play for him.
The division is at its best when all the teams are good, but unfortunately that’s never worked well for the black and orange…
You mean you miss the days of the Yanks an Red Sox both making the playoffs and the Orioles being in 4th place with no real hope of escape? And I thought as a Rockies fan I was a glutton for punishment.
Miss the days of the Sox, O’s and Yanks going after it to the wire every year to be honest.. Then that was all during the 70’s.
Yeah but that was also the days of the Brewers and the Indians being doormats in the AL East as also. It was a lot easier to have three team races in the days of 6 team divisions. Even better with the 7 team divisions of the 80s when I grew up.
The Yankees success was always traced to the development of their own stars that they supplemented with FA signings. They started seeing less success when they started buying the team. Now that they’re getting back to the development (it seems), that’s a scary prospect.
Ehhh…outside of the late nineties dynasty, the development thing is a bit of a misnomer. A lot of their “development:” involved poaching players from other teams in bad situations (Babe Ruth and treating the A’s as a glorified farm system).
Only seven of the Yankees’ 28 championships have come since the MLB draft was instituted.
It’s not like 7 championships is a low number. I don’t think any team in pro sports has that many in that time span. Most I can think of is 6 by the Bulls. And I don’t think any other team in baseball has reached 4 yet in that span. Of course I could be wrong on that too.
Yeah – I should have clarified. I’m only referring to the timeframe in which I observed and lived through, so basically mid-90’s to present.
The Celtics have more than 7 since the time that the draft was instituted.
Unlike some hyped Sox prospects, Benintendi is legit. I actually like him better than Moncada, and I’m sure he’ll at least hold his own while up.
I remember the old days when guys like Pedroia, Bogaertes, Betts, and Bradley were being called overhyped and useless. And yet…
Was that back when you had to walk uphill 20 miles both ways to get to and from school?
You forgot in the snow.
To be fair, Bradley was overhyped at first, as was Xander, although not nearly as much. However they’ve both made good on it and have become incredible players IMO.
Bradley was overhyped AF, he was and I quote “was” a no bat defensive specialist who could not hit to save the world, granted he put himself together but in the eyes of many it was a little later than expected, now he’s a respectable outfielder with an above-average bat and a plus plus outfielder.
It’s that run in August last year that made him semi overhyped but let’s be honest everyone knew he was kind of trash at that point, he eventually changed his swing in the offseason and focused on offense and you got results
Don’t quote me but I’m pretty sure Pedroia wasn’t overhyped, he was a second round pick who won some awards in college got a respectable bonus, and batted a combined .308 in his years in the minors, he did what was expected and excelled those expectations, he was ROY and a MVP 2 years in.
Bogaerts was a signee who was, like Bradley Jr, was a defensive first player who was ranked #5 by the time of his call up, he had a decent run in the postseason in 2013, he’s the only one who may have been overhyped because of the randomness of his postseason run, but he proved himself, he was overhyped for what? 6 months?
Betts wasn’t overhyped either he hit .291 with 5 HR in 52 games in 2014 and playing plus defense in center, idk how those translate to being overhyped… He was a regarded prospect too.
Can’t really say Bradley was “overhyped” when he has turned out to be everything people thought he would and probably then some. If anything, he was rushed to the majors big-time and it threw him off for a year or two. He’s a good poster child for showing patience with young players and not giving up on anyone who isn’t an instant superstar.
Bogaerts was about his bat and needed work on D.
I dont think any were overhyped since they are doing now what they were projected to do. Just because it took JBJ a little longer doesnt mean he was overhyped.
If they didnt live up to expectations THEN they can be called overhyped. I just dont understand how anyone can say three kids who are now hitting 300 and all made the all star team were overhyped. That makes zero sense. Maybe some have expected quicker results, but thats not being overhyped.
Bogaerts was never a defense first shortstop he was always about his bat. As a matter of fact there were concerns that he could play defensively at Shortstop but his bat projected to carry him at third.
Every team has over hyped prospects, even Boston.
2011 their top prospects were: Middlebrooks, Brentz, and Rauando
2012: Bogarts, Barns and Bradley
2013 Bogarts, Bradley and Webster
2014 Owens, Swilhart and Cecchini
Out of those 4 years, only Bogarts and Bradley lived up to the hype of being top prospects. They are also the only ones that were repeat top prospects. Some succeed some don’t.
People confused being over hyped with just being on a top team like the Redsox minor league system. So it’s obvious your gonna hear about them more than usaul. Bottom line It’s because there in the RedSox system and that is all. Has nothing to do with being overhyped. Your the one over hyping them in your mind. Because you hear about them more then you would if they was with another Mlb club.
The things you did to the English language in this one paragraph is disturbing.
Lol…epic fail. If you’re going to respond with a comment like that, you should probably make sure it’s grammatically correct.
The thingS you did ARE disturbing.
OK teachers!! You think I care wether it’s correct or not? What am I in a paragraph writing contest?
It’s obvious y’all have no life what so ever. But to come on here and worry about how someone writes something. Really? That’s gay!!
Figures the female side of y’all would come out and di+k ride another man.
Did you understand the comment or not? You did didn’t you.
So go tell someone who cares because i can give 2 Sh+ts!!
I’m not here to empress gay guys like y’all.. 🙂 🙂
Yup hyped Sox prospects like Betts, Bogey, and JBJ I’m tired of hearing about the hyped Sox prospects. They have turned out more home grown talent then just about any other team.
Ya, but every one of their prospects is hyped, not just the top ones. Boston fans are like the boy who cries wolf, saying every prospect they have is so good. It’s easy to see when people are saying Travis, kopech and Owens for sale
Every team overrates their prospects. I would have to say that the Red Sox have some really good ones but they are top heavy. I don’t think they are overhyping Benintendi, Moncada and Devers. They are very good top 20 type prospects when you start getting below that then they may be good but we will wait and see. As far as saying Boston fans are crying wolf I think that is incorrect most knowledgeable fans that follow baseball know that Boston is too heavy once Moncada and Benintendi are in the majors and without the ability to sign international the Sox will probably have a middle of the pack farm system. I do think there top three are really good and have a great chance at being solid major league contributors with Moncada the highest ceiling and Benintendi the lowest floor.
Even with Benintendi and Moncada up I still think they’ll have an interestingly deep system… Off the top of my head, I wish we had Espinoza still, but we still have Kopech and just signed Groome for top pitching prospects. According to MLB.com, Groome should have been the no. 1 overall pick and fell to us at 12, so I’m happy with that. Position players, we still have Devers and Sam Travis… Other interesting prospects that I think should have more hype are Ockimey (15 HRs in 90 games, .389OBP), and Doubon (despite having absolutely no power)… the other Basabe brother, Chavis, and Ball I think are overhyped…. I didnt like the Ball pick anyway at 7th overall… I wanted Austin Meadows when he dropped but the Pirates picked him at 9
Like I’m tired of saying. They get exposure to that level because their on the Redsox and that is all.
Everything to Sox do gets over blown.
They loves there sports teams point blank period.
I 1000% agree…. Moncada just looks like a beast and he is something special, but he’s also striking out at more than a 33% clip at AA…. That does not do a job when theres a runner at second and no one out and you need to move him along… Don’t get me wrong, I think he’ll be a beast, but in terms of preference, I’d rather Benintendi… he BBs about as much as he Ks and he’s only K’ed 39 times in 97 minor league games this year, plus he’s better defensively and fills an immediate need…. Regardless Im excited to see both of them up then this is what we got next year:
C Vasquez/Hanigan/Leon/Swihart <— figure that shit out
1B Shaw
2B Pedroia
3B Moncada
SS Bogaerts
LF Benintendi
CF JBJ
RF Betts
DH Ramirez
Talk about some runs…. even without Papi… then where does Devers go when he's ready? The pitching staff will look fantastic if Groome and Kopech pan out too (would've looked even better with Espinoza)…. Regardless… I am super excited for the future in Boston… Not so much so in the next couple years after we graduate/trade all our prospects and have the international signings ban/late first round picks start to cripple our system… but we have all these young guys for a while, so lets enjoy it while it lasts…. the yankees can have Harper, it wont matter (it might matter a little) (maybe dump Hanram and put Harper at DH) (I know there's a 0% chance of that happening, dont take that seriously).. and because I added the lineup i'll add the rotation for shits and gigs:
Price
Porcello
Erod
Pomeranz
Wright
Buchholz/Kelly as the odd men out
Pen:
Kimbrel
Ziegler
Koji
Tazawa
Abad
Carson Smith off of TJ
Ross
Barnes
Again, I am excited
You’re WAY OFF on composition of 2017 Red Sox roster. Am surprised others on this site have not corrected you on what most Sox fans know as a given:
1. Koji s in last year on contract and especially with his most recent injury, ineffectively re surrendering HR’s – 7 or 8 by my count – plus he’s 41 years old. Thanks for your ’13 regular season and post season Word Series title heroics (:
As for Ziegler – with a hopefully healthy Carson Smith returning in ’17 and fact Ziegler has established his family in Arizona, he’ll beb back with Diamondbacks.
next season.
Kelly winding down on 1 year contract, so if he doesn’t find his way as late inning reliever in home stretch of ’16 season in AAA or with Sox, he won’t be back in ’17.
As much as I pine for Buccholz to put all the tools together like he has had in a couple of seasons, Sox will not pick up his option and buy him out. If he wants to e long reliever/spot starter, and continues to perform well in playoff drive of ’16 coming out of bullpen, Boston may offer low contract number but with incentives to keep Buchy and hi s wife from ‘Deal or No Deal’ suit case opener in good stead.
While HANLEY has had a significantly improved ’16 season re BA and RBI’s, Sox will go gung ho to sign Encarnarcion from Blue JAYS to 3 yrs- 75 million dollar contract to be DH and part time 1b. – Big PAPi’s last gift to Red Sox will be to work on EE in off season to bring him to Beantown with his parrot
Shaw will be 3B unless he gets traded and Sox still have to find out what to do with PABLO with 3 year remaining on his contract,.
I was fortunate catch JBJs debut on opening day 2013, Xander’s at Dodger Stadium later the same year and I’m in Seattle on Thu night so anticipating the opportunity to see the start of another young superstar career…
That’s pretty cool actually. I had no clue Xander’s was at Dodger Stadium actually.
Love the move bringing him up. Give the kid a shot. Brentz had his opportunity and maybe Benintendi won’t be up for long but the offense could use a new cog. JBJ struggled and look at Bregman as well. Might not be a huge lift but you never know.
Welcome to MLB, Nintendo! How fitting your debut will come in Seattle. Let’s hope the video game-like offensive production continues at baseball’s highest level.
Fangraphs had a great story on him awhile ago calling him (statistically) the best Josh Donaldson replacement we’ve seen
Nintendo is gonna put in work period. Rather watch him then Brentz or Martinez.
Give the young boyz there shot. Next will be Moncada beasting it. The Steals mechine.
benni is as legit as the come. Played baseball and basketball with him since second grade. Extremely humble. One word to describe the guy is “ballplayer”
He’s had unreal baseball instincts since he was little, played in wood bat leagues for midland since he was 16. Red Sox got a gem seriously. Forearms make up for his short stature, great bat speed dude to the jacked forearms. His approach is so advanced I am sure this was not the wrong decision. He can help the more than ppl think this year, and will certainly surprise with how well he adapts to MLB pitching in a short period of time. Great player, even better person, excited to see the homie in the show!!!
Could see this coming with the way he was playing and dominating the minors, all the injuries on the big club, and DD, who is known for letting certain prospects skip AAA…now, there may be a little adjustment period of a few games so dont get discouraged. He struggled for 5 games in AA before turning it on and putting up a 900+OPS…IMHO, hes here to stay…
Can’t wait to see him play
DD did the same thing to Castellanos in Detroit. He is just now having a good season – in his 3rd full year. Hopefully this young man doesn’t experience the same shaky OJT.
I couldn’t find much info on other players that have skipped AAA and gone straight to the majors, but I believe Giancarlo, Machado, Trout and Harper all skipped. Is this guy seriously in that category of player? If so, why did he drop to the 13th selection? If not, why is DD rushing him?
He was the 7th pick not the 13th
if you want to play that game, why did Mike Trout fall all the way to pick #25?
And he didn’t really fall, he rose really quickly and really late. People didn’t realize he was draft eligible for a while and he had an out of nowhere sensational sophomore season. It took people a while to hop on board
JBJ is still overhyped. People act like he’s a superstar because he had a hot 1 1/2 months this year. Before this year and after this hot start this year, he has been a average to below average player.
So was Dustin Pedroia, he was sent down for a lack of hitting just like JBJ. Shortly after his breakout season, he won the AL MVP. So take that New York negativity elsewhere.
Stop it JBJ has been over an 850 ops since his callup last year. That’s almost one full year he is not at the level of Betts and Bogey but he is a well above average outfielder and the Yankees would love to have him. If you want to say he is streaky ok that may be the case but he will probably be a .275 hitter ops over 800 with near elite defense. That is a borderline all star. Oh and by the way anybody that watches the guy play center field knows that his defense is far better then what UZR says he makes centerfield look easy.
Too early.
does skipping aaa ever work?
Only for the best of the best – Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Giancarlo Stanton, etc. I somehow doubt Benitendi is going to be even close to as good as those three.
I’m not saying the jump is going to work, but if I were a betting man, I would say that the percentage of players who successfully made the jump from AA to MLB is higher than those who successfully went from AAA to MLB.
Ellis Burks made the jump after less then 10 games at AAA. Last Bosox I can think of.
Just going to throw out a disclaimer that Beinintendi is a great ball player but he’s such a great prospect due to his ridiculously high floor. His ceiling isn’t all that high and isn’t expected to be in any league with Machado, Trout, Harper or even the Betts, Lindor, Bryant tier. Just a quality above average regular with maybe a few all start appearances sprinkled in during his peak.
Also before someone calls me out on it, I realize you should probably switch Bryant and Harper based on this years performance but I was more just throwing out some names off the top of my head rather than setting definitive tiers. It would be a fun discussion to have though
I would agree that Benintendi has a really high floor and does not have the projected ceiling of those guys. Moncada is the one with super high ceiling but his floor is lower than Benintendi.