Benintendi happy to be 'desired' by White Sox after Yankees stint

It appears Andrew Benintendi wasn't a huge fan of his brief tenure as a member of the New York Yankees.

Benintendi joined the White Sox on a five-year, $75-million contract in December and emphasized how much he felt like Chicago valued him during the process.

"It’s fun to be part of something where you're desired, where you're wanted," Benintendi said during his introductory press conference Wednesday, according to the New York Post's Brian Wacker.

The Yankees acquired Benintendi in a trade with the Kansas City Royals ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. The 28-year-old appeared in just 33 games for the Bronx Bombers due to injury. Benintendi hit a pair of home runs with 12 RBIs and a .735 OPS for the Yankees. He didn't appear in the postseason due to a hamate bone injury in his right wrist.

Despite Benintendi's comments, the Yankees hoped for a reunion in 2023.

"We loved having Andrew Benintendi; it would have been nice to retain him," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

Benintendi said he's excited to get started with a White Sox team that showed interest in signing him as soon as the offseason started.

"From Day 1 in the offseason, there was communication. There was constant interest throughout the entire process," Benintendi said, per Wacker.

"I was talking about it with (manager Pedro Grifol, general manager Rick Hahn, and) the rest of the front office. It's good to be with a team that wanted me from Day 1."

Benintendi is expected to form a strong outfield trio alongside young stars Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez for the White Sox in 2023.