Blue Jays Still Among Favorites to Land Andrew Benintendi Despite His Vaccine Status, Vegas Says

The Toronto Blue Jays are still among the betting favorites to acquire Kanas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi despite his vaccine status, Vegas says

Andrew Benintendi may not be allowed in Canada, but Vegas seems to think the Toronto Blue Jays are still among the frontrunners to acquire the Kansas City Royals outfielder ahead of the trade deadline.

The Blue Jays sit at +350 to land Benintendi before next month's trade deadline, conveying about a 22% chance Toronto pulls off a trade with the Royals, per Bodog. Those odds make Toronto the most-likely trade destination for Benintendi should he be moved this summer.

Benintendi's trade market is drying up in the American League due to his reluctance to get vaccinated. The New York Yankees are reportedly "unlikely" to pursue to the left-handed hitting left fielder due to his vaccine status, per John Heyman of the New York Post.

On paper, Benintendi would be an ideal trade target for Toronto. He's hitting a career-high .317 this season with a .786 OPS through 87 games. Those numbers include a .335 batting average and an .833 OPS against righties this season. While he doesn't bring much else in terms of power or speed, he'd give the Blue Jays some much-needed balance to their righty-dominant lineup.

The vaccine situation, however, complicates things and does not appear to be changing anytime soon. Both Canada and the United States prohibit unvaccinated players from entering the country, meaning Benintendi would be unable to travel to and from Toronto until he's considered fully vaccinated either with two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The Royals sit at +105 to retain Benintendi, conveying a 49% chance he remains in Kansas City. The San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers are all expected to be interested, per Vegas oddsmakers.