Yankees Trade Target Is Unvaccinated; Should New York Look Elsewhere Before Deadline?

Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi is a good fit for the Yankees between the lines, but since he's unvaccinated, he won't be able to play in Toronto.

NEW YORK — One of the Yankees' top trade deadline targets is unvaccinated.

Ahead of a series in Toronto against the Blue Jays, Royals manager Mike Matheny revealed that outfielder Andrew Benintendi is among 10 Kansas City players that have not received the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Gold Glove outfielder Michael A. Taylor is also included in that group, another player the Yankees have been linked to leading up to the trade deadline.

All 10 of them will be placed on the restricted list for the Royals' four-game set against the Blue Jays. Players who are unvaccinated do not make trips to Toronto, forfeiting service time and salary for the games they miss.

The Royals will need promote a slew of players before the first game of their series across the boarder on Thursday. For teams like the Yankees, this news means they need to think twice before trading for Benintendi, Taylor or anyone else that hasn't been vaccinated. 

New York still has one more series in Toronto (toward the end of September). They could also face the Blue Jays in the postseason, traveling to Toronto in October. Trading for Benintendi or Taylor would mean New York is sacrificing prospects for an asset that would not be able to play in important games, possibly playoff games.

Yes, Benintendi would be available for all but three regular season games the rest of the way. Sure, there are no guarantees the Yankees will even play the Jays in the playoffs, especially with how Toronto has performed of late. But is this a risk general manager Brian Cashman is willing to take? 

The 10 Kansas City Royals who are not vaccinated and will miss the trip to Toronto are: OF Andrew Benintendi, IF/OF Whit Merrifield, C M.J. Melendez, DH Hunter Dozier, SP Brad Keller, SP Brady Singer, CF Michael A. Taylor, OF Kyle Isbel, RP Dylan Coleman and C Cam Gallagher.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 13, 2022

The purpose of trading for a player like Benintendi at the deadline is to set this team up for success leading up to the postseason and once the calendar flips to October. This could end up to be counterintuitive when other vaccinated outfielders are available on the open market.

Consider the fact that Kansas City is reportedly looking for a top prospect in return for Benintendi, who is a free agent at the end of this season. You can already make the argument that two or three months of Benintendi isn't worth the future of a highly-touted prospect. This could be enough to steer the Yankees away from Benintendi (and Taylor), pointing them in the direction of other outfielders leading up to the deadline. 

Alternatively, this could lower the asking price for Benintendi as it lessens his value for a team destined to cross paths with Toronto down the stretch. Benintendi, or any of these players, could always get vaccinated as well, making them available for any games in Toronto going forward. 

New York hasn't had to deal with any unvaccinated players this season. Back in April, the team's remaining unvaccinated players received their shots, clearing them for a series against the Blue Jays in early May.

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