One team reportedly won’t trade for Royals’ Andrew Benintendi because he’s unvaccinated
Royals left fielder Andrew Benintendi was busy filling a bag adorned with a 2022 All-Star Game logo Wednesday in the Royals clubhouse when he stopped to speak with reporters.
The next game Benintendi will be eligible to play in is Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
But he’ll miss the Royals’ four-game series in Toronto, which starts Thursday. The Royals are placing Benintendi and nine of his teammates on the reserved list because they can’t play in Canada, which requires anyone entering to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Benintendi told reporters he wouldn’t answer any questions other than why he was not vaccinated.
“For me, it’s just a personal decision,” Benintendi said, “and I’m gonna leave it at that.”
Before Wednesday, Benintendi had been mentioned as a good candidate to be traded before the MLB deadline next month.
The New York Daily News reported the Yankees have had “on-going talks” with the Royals about Benintendi
But those discussions may have come to an abrupt end because of Benintendi’s vaccination status.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the Yankees “are unlikely to continue pursuit of Andrew Benintendi since he is unvaccinated.”
The Yankees play a three-game series in Toronto in September and it’s always possible New York will face the Blue Jays in the playoffs. That makes Benintendi, who is a free agent after the season, a little less desirable.
Although the Yankees appear to have dropped their interest in Benintendi, the New York Mets “have not ruled out a Benintendi pursuit,” the Post reported.
