Andrew Benintendi agrees to 5-year deal with White Sox

Andrew Benintendi

These days, a 12-pack of Pepsi costs $7.99 at regular price. That seems like a lot, but it's actually the going rate in today's inflationary economy.

Similarly, it costs about $15 million a year to add an average starting outfielder in free agency. That seems high, but when you look around baseball, it's actually about par.

And that's the way I look at the deal the White Sox gave left fielder Andrew Benintendi. According to sources, the 28-year-old agreed to terms Friday on a five-year, $75 million contract. It is the most lucrative deal the Sox have ever handed out in free agency.

That last sentence sounds weird to say, doesn't it? When you're handing out the biggest contract in team history, shouldn't that money be going to someone who is a perennial All-Star? You would think so, but that's not the way the Sox operate. 

What the Sox have done here is pay market rate for adequacy at a position, and there's really nothing wrong with that. It just invites ridicule when the biggest deal a team has ever handed out goes to a decent-but-not-great outfielder.

Benintendi does most things reasonably well, although he lacks a carrying skill. He swings left-handed, which is something the Sox need. He plays respectable defense in left field -- he won a Gold Glove in 2021 as a member of the Kansas Ciry Royals -- which is also something the Sox need.

His career slash line is .279/.351/.782 over seven seasons, with OPS+ of 109 -- meaning he's been 9% above league average as an offensive player for the totality of his career. Benintendi's contact rate is good; he takes his fair share of walks (a bonus for the free-swinging Sox); and he's a decent baserunner.

One big concern: While Benintendi hit a career-best .304 last season, he managed only five home runs. He's hit as many as 20 in a season (2017 with the Boston Red Sox), so cross your fingers and hope that a little bit of that power returns playing in hitter-friendly Guaranteed Rate Field. The Sox struggled last season, in part, because of the lack of home runs in their lineup. Benintendi does not solve this problem.

In fact, this signing does not change the fact that the Sox are counting on healthy, more effective seasons from Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson and Yasmani Grandal. They are counting on Eloy Jimenez to finally play 100-plus games in a season, too.

The Benintendi signing helps in that regard, because he's going to play left field. Jimenez can put away his glove for the most part, and focus on being the best designated hitter he can be.

Essentially, Benintendi raises the floor of the 2023 Sox. He's not a All-Star. He's not going to carry the team. But he can provide some stability, and prevent the Sox from being tempted to play a first baseman in the corner outfield. 

The expectation should be a 2.0 to 3.0 WAR season for Benintendi. If he does that, he's a complementary piece to the so-called "core," whom the Sox are counting on to carry them back to the playoffs in 2023.