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Sox will send Royals $2.8 million in Benintendi trade

By The Associated Press - | Feb 22, 2021

Boston will send Kansas City $2.8 million as part of the Feb. 10 three-team trade that moved outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Royals.(AP photo)

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Boston will send Kansas City $2.8 million as part of the Feb. 10 three-team trade that moved outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Royals.

The Red Sox agreed in the deal to make four payments of $466,666.67 on the 15th of each month from April through July, and two payments of $466,666.66 on the 15th of August and September, according to details obtained by The Associated Press.

Boston’s payments will offset some of the $6.6 million Benintendi is owed by the Royals in the final season of his $10 million, two-year contract.

Kansas City sent Boston outfielder Franchy Cordero and two players to be named.

Boston also received minor league right-hander Josh Winckowski and a player to be named from the New York Mets. The Mets received outfielder Khalil Lee from the Royals.

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft, Benintendi was second in AL Rookie of the Year balloting in ’17. He hit .290 with 16 homers and 87 RBIs the following year while helping Boston win a franchise-record 108 regular-season games en route to the World Series title.

He slumped to a .103 average with one RBIs in 39 at-bats during the pandemic-shortened 2000 season, when he was hampered by a strained ribcage that prevented him from playing after Aug. 11.

Benintendi has a .273 average with 51 home runs, 260 RBIs and 53 stolen bases in five major league seasons, and his 32 assists in the last four years led big league outfielders.

He is eligible for salary arbitration next winter and for free agency after the 2022 season.

SOX GUARANTEE SAWAMURA $3 MILLION

Japanese right-hander Hirokazu Sawamura is guaranteed $3 million over two years in his contract with the Red Sox and could earn $6.75 million over three seasons if he appears in 60 games a year.

The 32-year-old gets $1.2 million salaries in both 2021 and 2022 as part of the deal announced Tuesday.

His contract includes a $3 million team option for 2023, and if that is declined Sawamura could exercise a $600,000 player option for 2023. He would get a $600,000 buyout if both options are declined.

If Sawamura is not released before the 2022 opener, the 2023 salary and buyout would escalate by $600,000 each.

If he remains with the Red Sox through opening day in 2022, the buyout could escalate by up to $400,000 based on pitching appearances in 2021 or 2022: $100,000 each for 35, 40, 45 and 50.

Sawamura could earn $250,000 each season in performance bonuses for pitching appearances: $50,000 each for 35, 40, 45, 50 and 60.

Sawamura has spent the last 10 years pitching in Japan’s top league, going 48-52 with 75 saves, four shutouts, a 2.77 ERA and 790 strikeouts in 88 starts and 264 relief appearances for the Central League’s Yomiuri Giants (2011-16, 2018) and the Pacific League’s Chiba Lotte Marines (2020).

He was the Central League’s 2011 Rookie of the Year.