Yankees should be proud of their identity in wake of Red Sox trading Andrew Benintendi
![BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 12: Andrew Benintendi #16 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during Summer Workouts at Fenway Park on July 12, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fyanksgoyard-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2021-2F02-2F1255764532-850x560-7a4ecfdf2caf369918469aa1a6181ba7.jpg)
It’s funny how things go in Boston. One minute you’re Benny Biceps and the next you’re … Benny Bye Bye. Apparently all the Red Sox needed to see after two tremendous campaigns was a slight indication of a potential regression and an injury-shortened 60-game campaign. On Wednesday, they said goodbye to former first-round pick Andrew Benintendi.
New York Yankees fans: let’s laugh yet again. First, they trade Mookie Betts last offseason because they don’t want to give him a contract extension. Then we have to hear about nonsensical Nick Pivetta hype because GM Chaim Bloom is a former Rays executive who might be able to find diamonds in the rough. Now, the Sox are trading another one of their most productive guys.
Talk about your recent World Series victories all you want, Red Sox fans. But at the end of the day, you have no identity. And while it’s been rough for us Yankees fans over the last 11-plus years, we’d much rather our position than yours. At least we’re in the conversation every year instead of rattling off some inexplicable, witchcraft-laden championship run.
Benintendi dealt to Royals, pending approvals, medicals
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 11, 2021
Brian Cashman is the longest-tenured general manager in the game, and though fans have a lot to say about his moves, the Yankees have been among the best in the sport over his reign, especially over the last decade. Though the Red Sox have two World Series titles over that span and the Yankees have zero, Boston has missed the playoffs seven times and finished last in the AL East four times. The Yankees have missed the playoffs three times and finished worse than second just twice (third and fourth place).
As for the Sox, they’ve had four general managers and five managers since 2010 as well. And they somehow manage to make the people who were responsible for their success the scapegoat at the end of the day! Betts? Oh he’s great, but he’ll cost us too much money! Dave Dombrowski? He won us a World Series, but he gutted our farm system. Theo Epstein? We don’t need you anyway!
Outfield prospect Khalil Lee is expected to go to the New York Mets in the three-way deal with Boston and KC that would send Andrew Benintendi to the Royals. Outfielder Franchy Cordero would go to the Red Sox once the deal is finalized, sources tell ESPN. Others are involved.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 11, 2021
There’s something to be said about organizational continuity, and while fans are angry at the Yankees right now because of their unwillingness to spend beyond the luxury tax threshold, they can take pride in the fact that the Yankees will usually be spending big and being aggressive on the trade market each and every year, despite the current World Series “drought” — which, by the way, isn’t even close to Boston’s 86 years of torture.
But we can’t help but notice the Benintendi trade is both an indictment of the Red Sox being cheap and the fact that they’re impatient, constantly overhauling their organization views/philosophies for what feels like no reason at all.
Of course Boston couldn’t fathom paying Benintendi $6.6 million in 2021. How could they do that when he helped them win a World Series and had a wildly successful 333 games to begin his career?! Don’t forget, this guy was drafted in 2015 and made his MLB debut the very next year! Now, he’s part of a salary dump.
Enjoy sleeping at night, Red Sox fans. We don’t know how you do it.