The White Sox made the signing of outfielder Andrew Benintendi official three days into the new year. With that, general manager Rick Hahn met with the media to give his thoughts on how the 28-year-old fits with the current roster.
"His profile both offensively and defensively we thought were great compliments to what we had and what we projected to break the season come opening day," Hahn said Tuesday night.
"A guy who, obviously not just left-handed, but gives you a tough AB (at-bat), can grind it out, put up solid on-base numbers towards the top of the lineup as well as improve ourselves from an outfield defense standpoint.
"He really fits in a lot of different ways that we were looking to improve ourselves on."
The White Sox filled needs, as Hahn said, on both sides of the ball by signing Benintendi.
A lineup dominated by right-handed hitters, Benintendi's southpaw will help diversify the batting order. His success against right-handed pitching is imperative for a team that sported the eighth-worst OPS against right-handed pitching last season (.678).
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Last season, Benintendi slashed .318/.384/.428 against right-handed pitchers.
On the defensive side, he can help break the Sox' habit of running left field via committee. In 2022, A.J. Pollock, Eloy Jiménez and Andrew Vaughn contributed the most to left field.
With Pollock off to free agency, Vaughn succeeding Jose Abreu at first base and Jiménez fairing better offensively as a designated hitter, the door is open for Benintendi to set up shop in left.
MORE: What Andrew Benintendi brings to White Sox
Nevertheless, Hahn mentioned he expects Jiménez to "be available and play some outfield" during the course of next season.
Benintendi earned a Gold Glove during the 2021 season, evidential to his defensive capabilities. He was also named an All-Star last season, slashing .304/.373/.399 at the plate.
All-in-all, Hahn and the White Sox finally got the guy they aimed at drafting in the 2015 MLB draft, when the Red Sox stole him away from the South Side one pick before their selection.
"We made no secret of our affection for him back in the draft and things just didn't line up for us to make him a White Sock back coming out of that draft," Hahn said. "He was a player who was quick to the big leagues and fairly quickly showed why – not just us – but the Red Sox and I'm sure many other teams coveted him."
With the signings of Benintendi and Mike Clevinger in free agency, the Sox filled two important gaps heading into the 2023 season.
Questions still remain – such as second base – about the roster. However, Hahn said he does not yet view the roster as a "finished product" at this time.
"We're always gonna look to get better," Hahn said. "It is a cliche, but, I suppose, a cliche for a reason. You're never satisfied with where your roster is. We're gonna continue to look."