FORT MYERS, Fla. — David Price looked at his phone on the morning of Dec. 6 and saw the surprising news that the Red Sox had acquired All-Star lefthander Chris Sale from the Chicago White Sox.

His initial elation was tinged with a bit of dread. Who had the Red Sox given up to get Sale?

Price checked what had become a flood of updates and was relieved to see the Sox had not included left fielder Andrew Benintendi in the deal.

“To get a guy like Sale, that was great. He’s one of the best pitchers in the game,’’ Price said. “But to get him without giving up our best young player? That was amazing. Benintendi is a special player. A lot of us on the team felt that way last year.’’

Retaining Benintendi while at the same time so dramatically improving the rotation could be what propels the Red Sox back to the World Series. The 22-year-old is a young, foundational talent on the same level as right fielder Mookie Betts and shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

“You can’t say any player is untouchable because you don’t know what deal will be presented. But Andrew is not a player you’re ever looking to trade,’’ president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said.

If Benintendi is impressed by the regard others have for him, it’s not apparent. He has embraced the be-seen-and-not-heard ethos of rookies even if his accomplishments on the field speak loudly. For teammates, that is part of the attraction.

“Here’s somebody who helped us from the first day he was called up and he was the same person every day,’’ Betts said. “He fit right in with the kind of team we have.’’

Benintendi played in 34 games last season, hitting .295 with an .835 OPS. He started all three games in the playoffs, going 3 for 9 with a double and a home run. As the Cleveland Indians swept the Red Sox, Benintendi was a bright spot.

“That kid is going to be really good,’’ Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Benintendi had an eventful introduction to the Sox. He had two hits in his first start on Aug. 3 in Seattle and was 3 for 3 with two runs scored and an RBI in his first game against the Yankees.

On Aug. 22, the 5-foot-9-inch Benintendi made one of the best catches of the season when he dived over a fence at Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field to steal a home run away from Steven Souza Jr.

Two days later, Benintendi wrenched his left knee while running the bases. What appeared to be a season-ending injury proved to be a sprain and he returned on Sept. 15.

“A lot of things happened,’’ Benintendi said. “The biggest thing was that the injury wasn’t serious. That was a relief.’’

Because of the injury, Benintendi still has rookie eligibility. Dustin Pedroia, in 2007, was the last Red Sox player to win Rookie of the Year. Pedroia batted first or second 91 times that season and helped fuel an offense that scored 867 runs. The Sox won the American League East and then the World Series.

With so many righthanded hitters on the roster, the lefthanded-hitting Benintendi could hit second to balance the lineup. He batted eighth or ninth for all but one game last season.

Benintendi stayed with Pedroia last season, grabbing a bed at the second baseman’s home in Chestnut Hill. The two spoke often about how best to handle the atmosphere and expectations of Boston.

Their personalities are different but Pedroia and Benintendi have plenty in common. Both played at high-profile college programs, were high draft picks, and overcame questions about their size.

Benintendi hit leadoff as a freshman at Arkansas then third during his breakout sophomore season. That led to the Sox taking him seventh overall in the 2015 draft.

“Wherever they put me, I’ll play,’’ Benintendi said. “Hopefully I can do my job where they put me.’’

New bench coach Gary Di-Sarcina has yet to see Benintendi play in person but watched plenty of video as part of his preparations for the season. He sees a player ready for the moment.

“I was impressed by his swing. He didn’t seem overwhelmed by the situation,’’ DiSarcina said. “Talking to the other guys in the staff, they’re impressed with his mind-set as much as his ability. The swing is there, anybody can see that.’’

As a coach with the Los Angeles Angels, DiSarcina worked closely with Mike Trout. He was careful not to compare Benintendi to Trout, but said his experience with the Angels star should help him in shaping Benintendi’s career.

“Everybody needs mentors, somebody who can pass along their knowledge,’’ said DiSarcina. “When somebody is struggling, that’s when you can make a difference with a player. I was around Mike for three years and he went through tough times, too.

“Andrew will be challenged and how he responds will show us a lot. It’s such a long season; he’s going to struggle. Even somebody with a beautiful swing will go through peaks and valleys. But there’s a lot of faith he will handle that well.’’

Benintendi prepared for the coming season by moving to St. Louis to work out with trainers suggested by his agent, Jason Wood. He added 15 pounds in the gym and improved his nutritional and sleeping habits.

“Last season I wasn’t as prepared as I am right now. Going into this offseason, I had a lot to work on. I tried to better myself,’’ Benintendi said.

Pitchers and catchers report on Monday and the first full-squad workout will be Friday. This time, there won’t be any blending in. Benintendi is the left fielder and an important member of a team with World Series aspirations.

“I couldn’t worry about whether they would trade me,’’ Benintendi said. “But this is where I want to be.’’

Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.