Mets landing Lee in three-team Benintendi deal

Last year at this time, Khalil Lee was preparing for his first taste of big league Spring Training. On Wednesday, he found out he'll be preparing for his first taste of a whole new system.

According to MLB.com executive reporter Mark Feinsand, the 22-year-old outfielder is headed from the Royals to the Mets in a three-team trade sending Andrew Benintendi and cash from the Boston Red Sox to Kansas City. New York will send right-hander Josh Winckowski -- acquired from the Blue Jays in a Jan. 27 deal -- to Boston. The Red Sox also will receive outfielder Franchy Cordero and two players to be named later from Kansas City, and one player to be named later from New York.

Lee, previously the Royals' eighth-ranked prospect and the Mets' new No. 7, was selected out of a Virginia high school in the third round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft and has climbed steadily through the Kansas City system. He led the Double-A Texas League and was third in the Minors with 53 steals for Northwest Arkansas in 2019, posting a .363 on-base percentage despite striking out 154 times in 129 games. The left-handed hitter slugged 17 homers for Class A Lexington in his first full season, but has yet to record another double-digit dinger total. Credited with 55-grade speed and a 60-grade arm, he has the tools to be an above-average defender in right field or a decent option in center, according to MLB Pipeline.

Winckowski, 22, came to the New York system in the Steven Matz trade. In 2019, he was a Midwest League All-Star for Class A Lansing (6-3, 2.32 ERA over 13 starts) before a promotion to Class A Advanced Dunedin (4-5, 3.19 over 11 games, 10 starts). That performance followed a Pitcher of the Year campaign for Class A Short Season Vancouver in the Northwest League in 2018. Armed with a heavy sinker and a reliable slider, the 6-foot-4 righty was ranked No. 27 in the Blue Jays organization, No. 26 with the Mets and now stands at No. 30 for the Red Sox.

Cordero appeared in 79 big league games for the Padres across three seasons and played in 16 games for the Royals in 2020, when he endured a broken right hamate bone. The 26-year-old outfielder has an impressive Minor League resume, including two MiLB.com Organization All-Star appearances (2016-27) in the loaded San Diego system. He was shipped to the Royals along with right-hander Ronald Bolaños in exchange for lefty Tim Hill last July 16. He sported a .279/.335/.434 slash line over 557 Minor League games and a .236/.304/.433 line in the bigs.

Benintendi was a runner-up for the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year award, which went to Aaron Judge, and holds a 2018 World Series ring. The outfielder has a career .273/.353/435 line.