The Boston Red Sox are making sure to hang on to the outfield they have left after dealing MVP Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers last week. The team avoided arbitration with outfielder Andrew Benintendi on Saturday by agreeing on a two-year contract that is worth $10 million. The Boston Globe was the first to report the news, as the 25-year-old has been the Red Sox starting left fielder for the past three seasons. His 2019 campaign saw him bat .266 with 13 home runs and 68 RBIs.
The left-handed hitter was a big piece in the Red Sox's 2018 World Series run, which is now tainted due to the cheating scandal, which forced the team to part ways with manager Alex Cora last month. Despite that, Benintendi did lead his team with 15 runs scored during that Postseason, His best regular season came in 2017, where he hit 20 home runs and drove in 90 runs, as he has recorded a total of 51 long balls and 259 RBIs over his four major league seasons, all of which have been with the Red Sox. Last on Boston's arbitration list to take care of is left-handed starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez.
Staying in the American League East Division, the Tampa Bay Rays made a trade on Saturday to add a minor bat, acquiring outfielder Mauel Margot from the San Diego Padres. The Rays dealt reliever Emilio Pagan to the Padres in this deal, making some room in one of the deepest bullpens in the league. The 28-year-old Pagan is a nice addition to the Padres' bullpen, as he posted a 2.31 ERA over 70 innings last season for the Rays. He led their bullpen with 20 saves, 96 strikeouts, while recording a career-best with a .196 opponent batting average. The 24-year-old Margot was rumored to be mentioned in trade talks with the Red Sox for Betts, but now adds speed to the Rays lineup. He batted .234 with 12 home runs in 441 plate appearances last season, but is more known for his defense, where he ranked second in the National League with a .992 fielding percentage.
The left-handed hitter was a big piece in the Red Sox's 2018 World Series run, which is now tainted due to the cheating scandal, which forced the team to part ways with manager Alex Cora last month. Despite that, Benintendi did lead his team with 15 runs scored during that Postseason, His best regular season came in 2017, where he hit 20 home runs and drove in 90 runs, as he has recorded a total of 51 long balls and 259 RBIs over his four major league seasons, all of which have been with the Red Sox. Last on Boston's arbitration list to take care of is left-handed starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez.
Staying in the American League East Division, the Tampa Bay Rays made a trade on Saturday to add a minor bat, acquiring outfielder Mauel Margot from the San Diego Padres. The Rays dealt reliever Emilio Pagan to the Padres in this deal, making some room in one of the deepest bullpens in the league. The 28-year-old Pagan is a nice addition to the Padres' bullpen, as he posted a 2.31 ERA over 70 innings last season for the Rays. He led their bullpen with 20 saves, 96 strikeouts, while recording a career-best with a .196 opponent batting average. The 24-year-old Margot was rumored to be mentioned in trade talks with the Red Sox for Betts, but now adds speed to the Rays lineup. He batted .234 with 12 home runs in 441 plate appearances last season, but is more known for his defense, where he ranked second in the National League with a .992 fielding percentage.
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