Did The Guardians Give Up On Will Benson Too Early?

Former Cleveland Guardians prospect Will Benson has found a home with the Cincinnati Reds.

© Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

A front office can't win every trade. Sometimes things just won't turn out the way they were expected leaving the losing side feeling regret. That appears to be the situation that has unfolded as we come up on a year since the Cleveland Guardians traded Will Benson to the Cincinnati Reds.

It feels right to revisit this transaction as Benson and the Reds come to Progressive Field for Cleveland's final home series. 

Let's quickly recap his time with the Guardians. 

Benson made his debut on August 1 finishing the final two months of the 2022 season with the Guardians. He didn't leave a lasting impression on the front office during his limited opportunities owning a slash line of .182/.250/.200 in 61 plate appearances while another promising outfielder prospect named Will took off.

There was too much youth on the Major League roster and throughout the farm system at Cleveland made the difficult decision to trade Benson to the Reds for another prospect and cash.

The first two months of the season went as poorly for Benson as his short stint with the Guardians went. He had a sub-100 batting average through the first two months of 2023 and was fading into the shadows of a talented Reds team.

But then something clicked. 

Aug 1, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Will Benson (29) runs to first base during his first Major League at bat in the tenth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Since May 1 Benson has a slashline of .283/.376/.530 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI. He's become a key piece on an ascending Reds startup that still isn't quite out of the playoff hunt with a week left in the season. 

These stats hurt even more considering how much Cleveland's outfield has struggled as a unit this season. Benson's .849 OPS is not only higher than any of the Guardians' outfielders but would be the best on the team if he were still here.

All of this is just through one season of play. Perhaps the prospects Cleveland got in return will turn out to be just as good or better and Benson's production drops as Big League pitchers see him more than once.

But as for now, it does appear the organization was a little too quick to let him go.