Dombrowski: We never came close to trading Benintendi for Sale

Four months after making his major-league debut, Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi found his name included in rumors surrounding the biggest blockbuster deal of the winter.

Sitting in a Subway restaurant with his friend on Dec. 6, Benintendi received word from his agent that he could potentially be involved in a trade with the Chicago White Sox for Chris Sale.

"My agent texted me and said, 'You're either going to go or not in the next two minutes,'" Benintendi told reporters, according to Christopher Smith of Mass Live. "So I was just like, 'OK, there's not much I can do.' So after that two minutes went up, I saw everything on Twitter and people were texting me. It was a big move for both sides."

Instead of trading Benintendi, the Red Sox packaged Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Victor Diaz in exchange for the left-hander.

When asked about Benintendi's comments Monday, Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski said that the club had no intention of including Benintendi in the deal, and views him as a key part to the team in 2017.

"He really was our left fielder. We never came close to trading him," Dombrowski said, according to Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.

Benintendi enters the season as the Red Sox starting left fielder and was recently ranked as the No.1 prospect in baseball by MLB.com, Baseball America, and ESPN.

"I don't think about it at all," Benintendi said of the No.1 ranking. "I think that's all for other people to look at. That's all talk. I've just got to go out and play well. That's what it comes down to. I don't pay attention to that and don't let it get to me."