The New York Yankees reportedly intend to bring Andrew Benintendi back for the 2023 season, despite a disappointing 2022 campaign.
Benintendi was acquired from the Kansas City Royals during the season, and he played well while healthy. Unfortunately for the Yankees, he was not healthy for very long, playing only 33 games. He missed the entirety of the Yankees' postseason run as well.
Benintendi is a consistent offensive threat with All-Star capabilities. He is an excellent contact hitter on a team that was defined by power hitters in 2022.
Twitter user Michigan Yankees shared a report from Joel Sherman on the New York Yankees' intent to re-sign Andrew Benintendi.
Many Yankees fans were excited by this news, as they know how important this offseason is. They won 99 games in the regular season, but were unceremoniously swept in the American League Championship Series by the Houston Astros. If they want to improve on that fate in 2023, they need to bring in a stronger lineup.
This could prove to be an offseason of unexpected change for the Yankees. Obviously, there are still questions surrounding Aaron Judge's future. Until he signs with one team or another, the Yankees fan base will wait with bated breath. Even if the Benintendi signing goes under the radar, it is still a quality one.
Not every fan is on board with bringing back Andrew Benintendi. While he has his upside as an offensive player, some fans would rather see resources allocated to the pitching staff. Especially after fans watched the Astros' elite pitching staff dominate in the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The only way to improve the pitching rotation is to invest in it and reap the rewards.
The New York Yankees have a lot of work to do to become champions once again, and that starts now in free agency.
The measuring stick for the New York Yankees is World Series championships
One price that has to be paid for being the most popular franchise in the MLB is high expectations. New York Yankees fans expect to win the division and battle in the playoffs every season. As we have seen in recent years, having the most money to spend is not always enough of an advantage in the MLB.
Re-signing Benintendi could prove to be what finally moves the Yankees to the championship level that they expect to be at.