COVID-19 Vaccinations Add New Twist to MLB Trade Deadline – Sports

PHOENIX (AP) – This is always a stressful time of year for Major League Baseball’s 30 general managers, who are evaluating talent, juggling financial implications and trying to find ways to make their teams better as the trade deadline approaches Tuesday is approaching.

Now there’s another factor in the wheeling-and-dealing calculus — COVID-19 vaccination status.

“That’s definitely one of those new things you didn’t have to think about,” said Pirates GM Ben Cherington. “I think obviously every team wants to feel like the entire cast of their roster is available to play, but we’re in a new world and there are personal choices.”

These personal decisions matter because MLB’s COVID-19 rules affect all 30 teams differently.

Arizona Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen said players’ immunization status was affecting trade talks “to an extent,” but didn’t think it would be a determining factor in many deals, particularly for teams not looking to follow suit in the near future Canada must travel future.

Hazen added that vaccination status is part of a player’s medical record, so there shouldn’t be any secrets as teams are free to discuss these details.

As the only MLB team in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays have by far the toughest requirements. Foreigners who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are not allowed to enter Canada, except for limited exceptions that require a 14-day quarantine.

Unvaccinated players will be placed on the banned list, where they will not be paid and will not receive major league service.

That means any upgrades for the Blue Jays — who are smack in the middle of the American League playoff race — will almost certainly need to be vaccinated. It also means teams heading to Toronto for the remainder of the regular season will need to consider whether they’re willing to add a player who might miss a crucial series.

The Yankees, Guardians, Rays, Orioles, Red Sox, Angels and Cubs all play in Toronto after the Aug. 2 deadline. Toronto’s GM Ross Atkins declined a request for an interview from a team spokesman.

Several teams have traveled to Canada this season without some of their best players. The Kansas City Royals were the most extreme example, losing 10 players prior to their trip north of the US border.

Several of those players – including hitters Andrew Benintendi and Whit Merrifield – have reportedly been the subject of trade talks. Benintendi was traded to the Yankees last week. Merrifield, a two-time All-Star, says he might be ready to get the vaccine if it means playing postseason games in Toronto.

If all those unvaccinated players don’t change their minds, it sure looks like home advantage for the Blue Jays. They’re 34-21 in Toronto and only 23-24 on the road this season.

Missing regular season games is problematic, but the playoffs are even more important.

The Blue Jays are on track to make it through the postseason, so the path to a World Series title could theoretically lead through Canada. For a team like the Yankees, it would be a significant disadvantage.

Benintendi has said he would consider vaccination.

“I’m open-minded about that,” Benintendi said after the trade. “I’m not against it, but time will tell as we get closer, but right now my focus is just getting here, getting comfortable, getting to know the guys and winning baseball games.”

There is also a possibility that Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions may continue for years to come, which could impact long-term businesses. The hypotheses are almost endless.

Of course, there’s also the possibility that the Blue Jays will be eliminated from the playoff race and none of the immediate doomsday scenarios will come into play. Many have taken the position of Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who said he did not speak to Benintendi about vaccines immediately after the July 27 trade.

“We’ll cross that bridge if we have to,” Boone said.

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AP sportswriter Will Graves in Pittsburgh and freelancer Scott Orgera in New York contributed to this story.