When the White Sox signed OF Andrew Benintendi prior to the 2023 season, his 5-year, $75 million contract was the largest deal in White Sox history. At the time, it seemed like just what the White Sox needed. Benintendi was coming off an all-star season between the Royals and Yankees in which he hit .304 with a .772 OPS. The White Sox had a disappointing .500 season in 2022 and were looking to bounce back in 2023 with question marks in the outfield. Unfortunately, Benintendi’s tenure in Chicago hasn’t lived up to expectations, and Chris Getz’s comments this week have put Benintendi’s future on the south side in doubt.
Getz also said that the areas the Sox are looking to improve this offseason are at the corner outfield spots, bullpen and finding a left-handed bat to balance out the lineup.
— Kyle W (@K_Williamsmedia) November 13, 2025
Getz also mentioned that an achilles issue has inhibited Benintendi's ability to play the field some. Benintendi’s first season in Chicago saw his average drop from .304 to .262, and his OBP drop from .373 to .326. Without much power, Benintendi’s on-base ability was the only thing keeping him afloat at the plate. Without that, he didn’t bring much value. Benintendi’s 2.9 bWAR season in 2022 was followed up by a 0.4 bWAR season in 2023. It got even worse in 2024. Despite a career-high 20 home runs, his average and OBP continued to plummet to .229 and .289, respectively. A poor defensive showing further tanked his value, and his -0.8 bWAR was one of the worst marks in baseball. 2025 was a slight improvement for Benintendi, who did hit 20 home runs for the second straight season, but at just 1.0 bWAR, he still came up well short of being worth his contract.
Benintendi’s name has come up in trade rumors for the past year or so, but unsurprisingly, there hasn’t been another team willing to give up assets for a below-average position player at a $17 million salary. Even with the White Sox reportedly being willing to include salary relief in a trade, there have yet to be any takers. With two years and $32 million left on his contract, the White Sox seem to have no choice but to hold onto him for now and hope for a big bounce back. Chris Getz’s latest remarks, however, make me wonder what the plan is for Benintendi’s playing time in 2026, or whether he’ll be on the team at all.
Andrew Benintendi may be the odd man out on the White Sox roster
Luis Robert Jr. will be penciled into the starting center field position in 2026, but there are questions on the corners. Mike Tauchman could return in 2026, but may be better off as a platoon option in right field. Top prospect Braden Montgomery likely won’t be on the Opening Day roster, but could force his way into the picture by midseason, and Tauchman should be more than capable of holding down the position until Montgomery comes up. Because of this, I don’t foresee a significant outside addition in right field, so left field is the logical spot to upgrade. This could bump Benintendi to the DH role, but the White Sox will need to get young catchers Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel in the lineup together, and that will likely be a priority over at bats for a 31 year-old outfielder with an average-at-best bat. There simply may not be a spot for Benintendi to play on the 2026 roster if he’s not capable of playing the outfield at a high level.
$17 million is a hefty price for a benchwarmer, so the White Sox may revisit the trade idea. If the White Sox do elect to move Benintendi, the return will likely depend on how much of his contract Chris Getz agrees to pay. Even at a minimal cost to a trade partner, Benintendi won’t land any top prospects. If they go the prospect route, the best the White Sox can hope for is a Rookie-League lottery ticket and some salary relief. Another possibility is a bad contract swap. The White Sox could find a team looking to get rid of their own bad contract at a different position and complete a swap, hoping a change of scenery can make a difference.
Regardless of the outcome, Benintendi’s future in Chicago has never been murkier. The White Sox are transitioning from tearing down to building up, and Benintendi is among a handful of players who will need to prove their worth, or find a new home.