All-Star OT Andrew Benintendi is acquired by the New York Yankees from Kansas City Royals

The New York Yankees acquired All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night, marking the start of what may be a flurry of transactions before next week’s trade deadline.

The Royals will receive right-hander Beck Way, right-hander Chandler Champlain, and left-hander T.J. Sikkema from the Yankees in exchange for the 28-year-old Benintendi.

Benintendi, a left-handed hitter, was selected to play in his first MLB All-Star Game this year. He has played in 93 games this season and is currently hitting.320, a career high, with three home runs, 39 RBIs, and a.788 OPS.

The Royals will receive right-hander Beck Way, right-hander Chandler Champlain, and left-hander T.J. Sikkema from the Yankees in exchange for the 28-year-old Benintendi.

After the Yankees’ 3-2 loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday, manager Aaron Boone remarked, “Benintendi is a great hitter. “reaches base at a very rapid rate. Gives you some balance because it comes from the left side.”

In his debut year with the Royals, Benintendi hit.276 with 17 home runs and 73 RBIs, winning a Gold Glove. In a three-team transaction that included the Mets, he was acquired by Kansas City from the Boston Red Sox in February 2021.

“He’s a really good player,” Judge said. “I had a chance to play against him for quite a few years when he was playing over in Boston, and I’ve seen him do a lot of impressive things. … He’ll be definitely a big piece of what we got going on here.”

Judge added: “I think adding a guy like that would definitely give us a little bump up, that’s for sure. And I think he’s gonna fit right in.”

Benintendi has played 30 games in his career at Yankee Stadium and has a.261 average, seven home runs, and 20 RBIs. In the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year vote, he came in second place to Judge. The following year, he and Boston won the World Series.

Benintendi was one of ten Royals players who skipped a four-game series against the Blue Jays in Toronto in the middle of July because they hadn’t obtained the COVID-19 immunisation. Of the $8.5 million salary he won in arbitration against the Royals, he lost $186,813.

He is reportedly open to becoming vaccinated, according to New York. The Yankees play a three-game series in Toronto from September 26 to 28. No Yankees have missed previous trips there this season.

“For me, it was a personal decision,” Benintendi said earlier this month about the vaccine. “And I’m going to leave it at that.”

Champlain, 23, was selected in the ninth round of the 2017 MLB Draft. At Class A Tampa, he made 15 starts and one relief appearance while going 2-5 with a 4.30 ERA.

In 10 starts and one relief appearance at Class A Hudson Valley, Sikkema, 24, went 1-1 with a 2.48 ERA. He was selected in the competitive balance round A of the 2019 draught.

Way, 22, was selected in the fourth round two years ago. In 15 starts for Hudson Valley, he went 5-5 with a 3.73 ERA.

The Royals begin a series at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night.