Red Sox sign Benintendi to two-year deal

[moonslav59]

Beni's biggest challenge has been batting lead off. I struggle with putting him back there now that Mookie will be out of the batting order.

 

My only real hope for Beni batting lead off in 2020 is that having a contract at least takes that pressure off of him. Maybe and I do mean MAYBE he will do better from the 1 hole given he has a two year contract under his belt. Though their inconsistency does not take the same form Beni from 1 reminds me of JBJ from ANYWHERE!

 

A few things on Beni...

 

1) The 2019 sample sizes in differing slots for Beni were pretty small.

 

2) His OBP and OPS were actually better batting 1st than it was 5th (his second most PAs slot)

(PAs)Slot/ OBP/ OPS

(235) 1. .355/ .767

(181) 5. .315/ .704

(120) 2. .345/ .795

 

3) He has not always struggled in the one slot. In 2018, he had a .381 OBP and .979 OPS in the 1 slot- way better than the 2 slot (.364/.809).

 

4) Career by slot:

(332) 1. .363/.831

(960) 2. .351/.794

(204) 3. .343/.736

(236) 4. .322/.708

The one slot is his best slot. He struggled everywhere, last year.

 

I'm not set on having him lead off, but as of now, he looks as good as anyone else.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

If he bats leadoff he has to change his approach. I don't know what was more aggravating last year: Mookie taking a first-pitch fastball down the middle or Beni fouling it back to the left (though his first pitch was usually higher; pitchers and advance scouts talk).

 

But Beni has succeeded batting leadoff plenty of times in his past: in the minors, college, etc.

[jung]

If he bats leadoff he has to change his approach. I don't know what was more aggravating last year: Mookie taking a first-pitch fastball down the middle or Beni fouling it back to the left (though his first pitch was usually higher; pitchers and advance scouts talk).

 

But Beni has succeeded batting leadoff plenty of times in his past: in the minors, college, etc.

 

Somebody convinced Beni that he could be a MLB HR hitter and he's just not. If he simply would stop widening his stride which leads to his elongated and useless big swing, he would be in much better shape whether batting from lead off or anyplace else for that matter. Even when the Sox manage to shorten his stride it just creeps right back out there again.

 

My hope for Beni is that the two year contract in his pocket cures him of trying to prove that he is something he is not.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Somebody convinced Beni that he could be a MLB HR hitter and he's just not. If he simply would stop widening his stride which leads to his elongated and useless big swing, he would be in much better shape whether batting from lead off or anyplace else for that matter. Even when the Sox manage to shorten his stride it just creeps right back out there again.

 

My hope for Beni is that the two year contract in his pocket cures him of trying to prove that he is something he is not.

 

Right -- go back to his swing that made him the top college player in the country. Speier's book details Beni talking about showcases for scouts and how all the big guys tried to jack, while he just ripped line drives. When he came up, Papi called him McFly -- fondly, because a lot of those liners hit on the sweet spot carry over the fence...

[Kingface]

I like this deal. Benni is not that far removed from some very solid seasons and he's controllable and is solid defensively. You spend a bit more this year but save money next year when the 're-set' happens and you can spend more. Nothing bad about this at all.

[jung]

Right -- go back to his swing that made him the top college player in the country. Speier's book details Beni talking about showcases for scouts and how all the big guys tried to jack, while he just ripped line drives. When he came up, Papi called him McFly -- fondly, because a lot of those liners hit on the sweet spot carry over the fence...

 

He is not in college any longer. He is swinging wooden bats now against MLB pitching. He needs to keep his stride short and his swing compact. In fact he is likely to hit more HR's that way than he is TRYING to hit them. You want to look at the greatest LH swing that ever existed. Look at Ted's. He stands upright in the batter's box, takes a short stride, keeps his hands inside the baseball and PLACATA. Now look at Beni's run of the mill MLB swing.

 

Again my hope for Beni is that the 2 year contract in his pocket cures him of constantly trying to hit HR's only to land on the warning track even with the rocket ship baseball.

[Kimmi]

Mookie is beyond that point Kimmi. Benintendi got a nice signing bonus, but not he is set to make his first big contract. $10 mil sets him up for life when you add in his $3+ mil signing bonus. Betts is already set for life. With his 3 arb years, he will make $57 mil over the 3 seasons. If he shatters his leg on the field, then he has more money than he probably could have dreamed of. He is content to wait and he has the money to be patient for

 

He is set for life, which is precisely the reason that he should be willing to give the team somewhat of a discount.

 

He should have accepted this deal two years ago.

[Slasher9]

good signing for both sides.

the question for me is....are we getting skinny beni or #fatbeni?

[mvp 78]

good signing for both sides.

the question for me is....are we getting skinny beni or #fatbeni?

 

There was a story floating around last month that stated that he came to camp last year in that shape because he knew he was going to lead off.

 

He's leading off this year.

 

We're getting fatty mcfatterson.

[a700hitter]

Two years of Benny for $10 million and they pay Rusney Castillo $10 million/year for 7 years and he is stuck in mothballs in the minor leagues. Thanks Ben.

[notin]

Two years of Benny for $10 million and they pay Rusney Castillo $10 million/year for 7 years and he is stuck in mothballs in the minor leagues. Thanks Ben.

 

THe only good thing about Castillo is at least he doesn't count towards the luxury tax penalty. Really, he is just a burden on Henry's wallet...

[a700hitter]

THe only good thing about Castillo is at least he doesn't count towards the luxury tax penalty. Really, he is just a burden on Henry's wallet...

His salary would be an extra $10 million/year to pay the Luxury Tax.

[notin]

His salary would be an extra $10 million/year to pay the Luxury Tax.

 

Yeah, he basically made what the Sox paid last year. But his $10mill AAV at least does not count towards the penalties or any potential reset...

[a700hitter]

Yeah, he basically made what the Sox paid last year. But his $10mill AAV at least does not count towards the penalties or any potential reset...

That's little consolation. It's like people who complain about capital gains because they have to pay taxes. I always tell them that no one goes broke from making a profit, and profits are better than non-taxable losses. Castillo falls into the loss category. That he isn't counted toward luxury tax is little consolation. It just illustrates that he is such a bust that they could move him off the 40 man roster without anyone claiming him -- not even at a discount.

[notin]

That's little consolation. It's like people who complain about capital gains because they have to pay taxes. I always tell them that no one goes broke from making a profit, and profits are better than non-taxable losses. Castillo falls into the loss category. That he isn't counted toward luxury tax is little consolation. It just illustrates that he is such a bust that they could move him off the 40 man roster without anyone claiming him -- not even at a discount.

 

Well, there is some consolation in that he doesn’t inhibit other acquisitions (as much?).

 

And had Castillo been claimed, it would have been for full price...

[a700hitter]

Well, there is some consolation in that he doesn’t inhibit other acquisitions (as much?).

 

And had Castillo been claimed, it would have been for full price...

I am sure that they tried to trade him at a reduced price, and again this consolation is like the people who look for losses at the end of the tax year for tax purposes. It's a loss... a loss should never be the goal.

[notin]

I am sure that they tried to trade him at a reduced price, and again this consolation is like the people who look for losses at the end of the tax year for tax purposes. It's a loss... a loss should never be the goal.

 

Yeah they might have asked around.

 

Really the reports on him in AAA a couple years ago were “this guy doesn’t belong here.” But I think it’s going to take a lot of stars aligning to get him to Boston...

[harmony]

Yeah they might have asked around.

 

Really the reports on him in AAA a couple years ago were “this guy doesn’t belong here.” But I think it’s going to take a lot of stars aligning to get him to Boston...

Over the past three seasons at Triple A, Rusney Castillo's wRC+ has dropped from 138 in 369 plate appearances in 2017 to 120 in 511 plate appearances in 2018 to 93 in 493 plate appearances in 2019.

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/rusney-castillo/17016/stats?position=OF

 

Past a player's 30th birthday, skills can deteriorate in the minors as well.

Edited February 14, 2020 by harmony

[Donnie Sadler was short]

That's little consolation. It's like people who complain about capital gains because they have to pay taxes. I always tell them that no one goes broke from making a profit, and profits are better than non-taxable losses. Castillo falls into the loss category. That he isn't counted toward luxury tax is little consolation. It just illustrates that he is such a bust that they could move him off the 40 man roster without anyone claiming him -- not even at a discount.

 

Off topic but I cant resist..capital gains is nothing but a punitive tax...yeah God forbid someone makes a good business decision & years later makes a profit.

[jad]

Off topic but I cant resist..capital gains is nothing but a punitive tax...yeah God forbid someone makes a good business decision & years later makes a profit.

 

Yeah, it really sucks that rich people have to pay taxes. Taxes, as L. Helmsley famously reminds us, are for "little people."

[a700hitter]

Off topic but I cant resist..capital gains is nothing but a punitive tax...yeah God forbid someone makes a good business decision & years later makes a profit.

Having worked in the tax area for over 30 years, I like to watch people’s heads explode when I tell them that Corporate income tax is a farce. There shouldn’t be any corporate income tax. It all gets passed through to the customer. If Corporate taxes go up and people cheer about the fat cats paying, they don’t realize that those taxes will be addressed by cost cutting (i.e. jobs) or product price increases passed onto the customer. Their profit margin remains unaffected. It all gets passed onto the consumer. There should be a national sales tax. Transactions of all types should be taxed and there should be no income tax. That would be the fairest and most transparent system. What we have now is a confusing mess that politicians and demagogues use to pander to their constituencies.

[mvp 78]

Sales tax is a regressive tax.

[a700hitter]

Sales tax is a regressive tax.

And that is part of the politicization of the issue of taxes. Statements like that are so common. But it is part of the politicization of the issue. The little guy and the middle class are already paying regressive taxes/ fees that are hidden in so many ways. People don’t even realize it. Advisers to the Senate Finance Committee know how to fix the tax system, but there is no political will to do it, and there never will be, because the politicians have trained the constituents on both sides of the aisle to have conditioned responses like yours and righteously defend those positions. And nothing gets done. Edited February 14, 2020 by a700hitter

[Slasher9]

Vat

[Bellhorn04]

I am sure that they tried to trade him at a reduced price, and again this consolation is like the people who look for losses at the end of the tax year for tax purposes. It's a loss... a loss should never be the goal.

 

What you're saying is, it's like whipped cream on horseshit.

[Bellhorn04]

Vat

 

Goods and Service Tax, here in the Great White North.

[a700hitter]

What you're saying is, it's like whipped cream on horseshit.

That’s a pretty good description.

[mvp 78]

Happy Birthday to Beni. Hope he keeps the long locks this year.

[a700hitter]

Happy Birthday to Beni. Hope he keeps the long locks this year.

I hope that he starts to live up to his potential.

[mvp 78]

I hope that he starts to live up to his potential.

 

I'd be happy with him just replicating 2018. He was a 4.4 fWAR guy that year, which is career accumulated total.