Inside The Red Sox

Opposing Club 'Openly Shopping' Ex-Red Sox Fan Favorite After Signing Historic Contract

The former Red Sox homegrown star could be on the move this summer

Scott Neville

Mar 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A general view of Fenway Park before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A general view of Fenway Park before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
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The Boston Red Sox have recieved serious backlash for the amount of star players that the organization have moved on from since the 2018 World Series championship -- and rightfully so.

However, there was at least one player fans should be grateful that the front office moved on from, despite how beloved he was in Boston.

"The (Chicago) White Sox are openly shopping outfielder Andrew Benintendi, and would love to get out of his contract. He’s still owed nearly $50 million from 2025-2027," USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote Sunday.

Benintendi is hitting .201 with 12 extra-base hits including six home runs, 22 RBIs and a .557 OPS (58 OPS+) in 63 games this season. If you go by various WAR platforms, he's unanimously one of the worst players in baseball thus far.

The 29-year-old has a .244/.304/.342 slash line with a .649 OPS (79 OPS+) since signing the largest contract in White Sox history -- five years, $75 million.

Prior to calling Chicago home, Benintendi has a career .279 average with a .782 OPS (109 OPS+) across seven seasons. He racked up an All-Star appearance, Gold Glove and was an important piece of the 2018 World Series roster.

At this juncture, it's hard to envision a scenario where an opposing club would trade for Benintendi, even if the White Sox were willing to absorb a chunk of his deal.

Not many organizations will clamor for one of the worst players in the league from a statistical standpoint who also carries a high-priced long-term contract.

More MLB: Red Sox Star Reportedly Receiving Trade Interest From Pair Of NL West Contenders

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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