Red Sox receive three prospects to complete Andrew Benintendi trade
Almost four months after the deal initially took place, the Andrew Benintendi trade is now complete. On Friday, the Royals and Mets sent the Red Sox the three remaining ‘players to be named later’ that were agreed upon back in February. Because there was no minor league baseball season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the Red Sox used a PTBNL structure in the trade in order to fully scout players who had recently had a year off.
From the Royals, the Red Sox will get pitchers Luis De La Rosa and Grant Gambrell, as first reported by Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe. Meanwhile, the Mets (who received Khalil Lee, a top prospect at the time of the original deal) send corner outfielder Freddy Valdez to Boston, per Chad Jennings of The Athletic.
De La Rosa is an 18-year-old shortstop-turned-pitcher who brings tremendous upside. In his lone year of affiliated ball, the 6-foot-1 right hander posted a 2.33 ERA in 38.2 innings over 11 starts for the Dominican Summer League Royals in 2019. He recorded 52 strikeouts compared to just seven walks, with a WHIP of .905. He currently throws a low-90’s fastball, a slider, and a changeup that Baseball America described as “advanced for his age.”
Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the Red Sox.