KC Royals Trades: 4 Andrew Benintendi deals to ponder

Trade rumors have surrounded KC Royals left fielder Andrew Benintendi and, with the Aug. 2 trade deadline now less than a month away, they’ll only increase.

Because Benintendi’s value is so high—after going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk in the Royals’ heartbreaking 7-6 loss to Houston Monday, he’s slashing .314/.380/.400—now seems like a good time for the Royals to entertain deals for their Gold Glove left fielder, especially considering he’s in his contract year and can test free agency after the season ends.

Kansas City, however, doesn’t have a history of trading players when many think they should. Might that trend change when it comes to Benintendi this year?

Will the KC Royals break with tradition and trade Andrew Benintendi?

In 2017, when it seemed so obvious the Royals should trade their 2015 championship core before its members became free agents, they instead retained them all. They then refused to trade Whit Merrifield and kept his outstanding offensive production for two 100-loss teams and two others.

Sometimes, though, Kansas City does trade players when the circumstances call for it: they dealt Mike Minor before this season started, then moved Carlos Santana last week.

Hints of being more transactionally timely have been there, but this year’s trade deadline will gauge whether the club is changing. Benintendi could be the biggest outfield trade chip this summer and return a decent haul of talent, one that will grow if a war for his services develops.

Here are four Benintendi deals the Royals should consider.

San Diego has a history of trading with the KC Royals and might deal again.

There’s been no deal shortage between the Padres and Royals. And it seems their relationship may be ripe for another transaction, this time involving Andrew Benintendi.

The East Village Times reported last month that San Diego was exploring a trade for Benintendi. The Padres, currently in second place in the rugged National League West, could use him as they try to chase down the Dodgers. Acquiring Benintendi could help them close the gap.

And the return for Kansas City? San Diego’s farm system isn’t as heralded as it once was, but still stocks talent the Royals might like.

Consider this potential deal:

This trade brings the Royals a haul of pitching talent including former Cy Young winner Snell. Although Snell is 0-5 this season with a 5.13 ERA, he has an 11.2 SO9; the results are mixed, but his 3.71 FIP suggests a turnaround might be on the horizon.

The other two pitchers in this deal are former top prospects. Morejón, currently on the Injured List, is 3-2 in his big league career with a 5.65 ERA in 36.2 innings. Injuries have limited his contributions to the Padres but he has a career 9.3 SO9 and 2.5 BB9.

Weathers, just 22, hasn’t had promising results despite ranking as MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 San Diego prospect in 2020. He’s thrown 98.1 major league innings and is 4-7, 5.49.

Toronto might pursue a trade for KC Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi.

A report by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (Twitter link) last week suggested the Blue Jays and Royals might work out a Benintendi deal. It makes sense.

Toronto is 14.5 games behind the Yankees in the American League East, but currently holds the second Wild Card. They Jays have enjoyed a fairly strong season from their outfield but could upgrade right field where Teoscar Hernández is slashing .258/.310/.446.

Although Toronto has promoted some top prospects in the last two seasons, its farm system features a couple of outstanding prospects who could be blocked at the major league level.

Perhaps this deal could help those players advance:

What might help this deal get done is the Jays showing interest in Benintendi and the Royals’ high-caliber relievers. Scott Barlow comes with two more years of club control after this season, but at 29 may not fit into Kansas City’s realistic future contention window. A deal packaging Benintendi and Barlow together could maximize KC’s return.

Groshans is potentially the biggest piece of that return. Toronto picked him in the first round of the 2018 draft that produced so many hurlers for the Royals; at 22, he could be ready for the major leagues sometime next year.

However, he’s slashing .265/.368/.318 with only one home run in 49 games at Triple-A. The .318 SLG is concerning and down substantially from last season’s .450.

Pearson is on the IL with a right lat strain. He’s dealt with a plethora of injuries in his short two-year major league career but has pitched well in the minors where, in 161 innings over five seasons, he’s 6-8 with a 2.67 ERA, 11.1 SO9 and 2.7 BB9. Pearson could help KC’s rotation if he can stay healthy.

The switch-hitting Machado, 19 and playing in Low-A as a middle infielder, doesn’t hit for much power but MLB Pipeline rates him Toronto’s 13th best prospect.

Acquiring Andrew Benintendi from the Royals could cap New York’s season.

The Yankees are one of baseball’s best teams and their 58-22 record is tops in the majors. But although they’re dominant, adding Andrew Benintendi couldn’t hurt.

Why? Left fielder Joey Gallo is hitting just .165 this season, his .602 OPS is the lineup’s worst and, as his .325 SLG suggests, his power is all but gone.

This deal could help the Yankees and KC:

The Yankees are focused on October baseball and they ought to be interested in dealing for Benintendi and Barlow, which would maximize the Royals’ potential return.

Jasson Dominguez drew lofty raves when the Yanks signed him as an international free agent—according to MLB Pipeline, “Dominguez signed for $5.1 million out of the Dominican Republic in July 2019 after drawing comparisons to the likes of Bo Jackson, Mickey Mantle, and Mike Trout.”

Although expectations have tempered some, Dominguez’s results have still been good for such a young player: he’s slashing .256/.367/.425 with 16 steals in Low-A and should be able to stick in center field thanks to his blazing speed.

The Royals also get two near-major league-ready pitchers in this trade. Luis Gil had Tommy John Surgery earlier this year but made his way to New York last season and went 1-1 with a 3.07 ERA and 11.7 SO9 in six games.

Luis Medina is 23 and, per MLB Pipeline, has “…showcased some of the best pure stuff in the Minors for years but never has been able to locate the strike zone consistently.” He is 2-3 with a 3.65 ERA and 11.0 SO9 in Double-A. If the Royals could help him with his control, he could be a good addition to their rotation.

Should the Royals make one of these four potential deals involving Andrew Benintendi?