White Sox first spring lineup raises further questions on Andrew Benintendi's future

The White Sox are playing their first baseball game of the year Friday as the team headed to Mesa to take on the crosstown rival Cubs. All eyes are on the White Sox outfield as one of several interesting roster battles this spring. Manager Will Venable went with Austin Hays in left, Derek Hill in center, and Everson Pereira in right as the first outfield alignment of the preseason, and it raises questions about the future of Andrew Benintendi. Pereira was later scratched and replaced by Tristan Peters in right field.

Benintendi, 31, is entering year four of his five-year contract with the White Sox. The outfielder has hit 20 home runs in back to back seasons, but has taken a step back in his on-base numbers and defense in recent years. Benintendi has dealt with lingering tendonitis in his Achilles and has lost weight this offseason hoping to take the stress off his leg. Even though White Sox GM Chris Getz indicated that Benintendi could see more time at DH this year, Benintendi said earlier this week that he feels good and is planning as if he’ll be in the outfield every day. 

Benintendi's outfield workload will be worth keeping an eye on this spring

The White Sox placement of Austin Hays in left field is worth paying attention to here. Hays has primarily played left field in recent years, but has played all three outfield positions at times in his career. He’s unlikely to see significant time in center given his age and injury history, but he can certainly provide serviceable defense in either corner. 

The White Sox have a couple ways they can handle the position alignment when the regular season rolls around. Starting Benintedi and Hays in the corners and leaving center field open to a young player like Luisangel Acuna is definitely a possibility. But it’s also possible that the team views Benintendi as a DH and that Hays will primarily play left. This would open an additional outfield spot for someone like Everson Pereira, who has opened eyes early in camp, to take on a larger role. The downside of this, however, is the lack of flexibility in the DH spot, which could take at bats away from Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, or Lenyn Sosa. 

It’s an interesting conversation that’ll be worth monitoring as the spring moves along. Realistically, the White Sox will probably feature a mix of both alignments at times this season. Benintendi will likely get reps in the outfield and at DH. Having positional flexibility and versatility among their players seems to be a priority for the team. 

If it were up to me, I’d prioritize players like Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel getting the most possible at bats over Benintendi. If the plan for the catchers was always going to be splitting time, then sure, give a young outfielder like Pereira more of an opportunity. But the White Sox offense was at its best last season with Teel and Quero both in the lineup, and Andrew Benintendi shouldn’t stand in the way of that. 

White Sox fans should keep an eye on the team’s defensive alignments as the Cactus League moves forward. If Austin Hays starts getting reps in right field, it could mean good things for Andrew Benintendi’s chances at a regular outfield role, but if he’s limited to left, the White Sox will have an interesting decision on their hands.