Yankees Unlikely to Trade for Andrew Benintendi Due to Vaccine Stance, per Report

The outfielder is one of 10 Kansas City players unable to play in Toronto this weekend.

After rumored interest in Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi, the Yankees are reportedly no longer going to pursue him due to his unvaccinated status against COVID-19, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports. Heyman added the Mets are still potentially interested in Benintendi.

While the Yankees aren’t likely to keep pursuing Benintendi, sources indicate Benintendi remains at least on the Mets’ radar (they seek a hitter) @J_Tasch https://t.co/UudNb4GGu1

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 14, 2022

Benintendi is one of 10 unvaccinated Royals players who are unable to play this weekend in Toronto due to Canada’s rules forcing unvaccinated people to quarantine for two weeks when crossing the border.

The Yankees, meanwhile, play the Blue Jays in Toronto one more time this season during the final week of the regular season. Especially since the two sides could meet in the playoffs, and since Benintendi will be a free agent, New York apparently believes the risk outweighs the reward of trading prospects for Benintendi.

Over the weekend, Heyman reported the Yankees were looking into trading outfielder Joey Gallo and acquiring a replacement, listing Benintendi as a top choice. Kansas City and New York have reportedly “held talks” about the outfielder over the past few weeks.

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