The Royals are traveling to Toronto tomorrow to begin a series against the Blue Jays but will be without a significant portion of their regular roster. The team announced to reporters, including Alec Lewis of The Athletic, that ten players will be placed on the restricted list. Since unvaccinated travelers are not allowed to cross the Canada-U.S. border, it’s become common for teams to place a handful of players on the restricted list before playing in Toronto. However, the quantity and quality of the Royals players included is noteworthy. The full list of names: Andrew Benintendi, Whit Merrifield, Hunter Dozier, Cam Gallagher, MJ Melendez, Brady Singer, Brad Keller, Kyle Isbel, Michael A. Taylor and Dylan Coleman.
Benintendi is one of the top trade chips this year, as he’s an impending free agent having a good season for a noncompetitive team. He landed the #2 slot on MLBTR’s recent list of top trade candidates, trailing only Willson Contreras. Benintendi is walking in 10.2% of his plate appearances while striking out just 14% of the time and hitting .317/.386/.401 on the year. That amounts to a wRC+ of 127, or 27% above league average. With the Royals currently 35-53, a record worse than all American League teams except for the A’s, they stand out as obvious deadline sellers.
Two weeks ago, it was reported that the Blue Jays were among the teams interested in acquiring Benintendi, which was a fairly logical match. Benintendi bats from the left side, whereas the Blue Jays have a right-handed heavy lineup. They acquired outfielder Raimel Tapia from the Rockies in an offseason trade as a way to try to balance things out. Unfortunately, he’s hit just .263/.289/.375 for an 84 wRC+ this year. Swapping Benintendi into Tapia’s role as part of an outfield/DH mix with George Springer, Teoscar Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. would have been a straightforward upgrade. However, this news would seem to more or less eliminate the chances of such a deal coming together since Benintendi would only be available to the Blue Jays for road games.
In the short term, the Royals will have to find replacements for these players in order get through the upcoming four-game series against the Blue Jays, which starts tomorrow. The corresponding moves are not known at this time.
Jesus that’s almost half the team. they’re gonna have to sign people to go with whatever callups they make at this point
What BS! Where’s Waldo? Hiding again, no doubt…
Toronto’s homa record should be significantly higher considering every single team plays with reserves when they head there.
Don’t think the Jays will bite on Benintendi if he can’t play home games. It’s about time all these clowns get with the program and get vaccinated. Vaccinations saved lives.
Kinda sad how the Blue Jays have to ban players just to have a chance at winning. Embrace mediocrity like the rest of us
Do you actually get how this works?
This is a government requirement, and the
same rule applies to Jays players going into the US, as in, the US government has the same requirement in place. The difference is that the Jays are all vaccinated.
One way this does negatively affect the Jays – more so than a few players not being able to play there a handful of times of year – is who they can acquire at the deadline. Benintendi would have been a perfect fit for them, but looks like they won’t be able to, since he’d miss 30ish games if they did.
I’ve obtained exclusive footage of Vlad Jr giving a speech in front of Parliament while lobbying for this restriction. That kind of attitude is why he didn’t win MVP last year!
Don’t feed the trolls
I don’t believe that is correct. Benintiendi is a U.S. citizen, the U.S. covid, vaccination policy applies to foreigners, not citizens. Any U.S. citizen living in Canada would in fact be able to travel into the U.S. and play.
Did u read the article, u can’t cross the border unvaxed
American Jays’ players wouldn’t be able to get back into Canada though unless they were vaccinated. I believe that Canadian players can’t get into the U.S. without vaccination though either, For example, this would apply to Jordan Romano if he wasn’t vaccinated.
Exactly that always seem to be forgotten. No team has faced more inconvenience than the Jays because of COVID regardless of your views on it. Robbie a Cy Young winner and by all accounts would have stayed other than the vaccine mandate. If a Jays player is unvaccinated they miss 81 games and the Jays can’t even be at the table with trying to trade for any unvaccinated player come the trade deadline.
Or maybe just get vaccinated 10 players Jesus Christ almost half the damn team are idiots
What if postseason games were played in Canada? Decisions, decisions.
Something tells me MLB won’t let playoffs happen in Canada *if* that’s to happen. But that’s a big *if* at the moment
If they’re playing the entire regular season in Canada, no reason to believe they’ll change it for the playoffs.
Would they really rob a team a chance at home postseason games? Doesn’t really seem fair in either direction. Think it’s in everyone’s best interests that the Jays miss the playoffs.
Or it could be in everyone’s best interest to get the shot or live by the consequences both governments have mandated at the present time.
Go O’s
There’s a timetable. You can’t just get vaccinated and play. There’s a set amount of time needed.
It’s “in everyone’s best interest to get the shot or live by the consequences both governments have mandated.”
As Ronald Reagan once said, “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
Does this all but remove Toronto as a possible destination for Benintendi? I mean, if he can’t play home games, what’s the point?
He can. Roll up the sleeve and you’re salary won’t be halved.
you are salary won’t be halved? What does that mean?
I think it also totally wrecks his value to other AL East teams. Trading for a rental you know will miss time is a tough buy
It depends on how many games they would miss. Sometimes a few days of rest can also be beneficial for a player.
Even with the competitive advantage of teams players being ineligible during 81 of their games the blue jays still fired their manager due to poor performance and sit 4th in the AL East. Amazing.
Don’t forget the Blue Jays have been limited on choices to improve their roster in the off-season and trade deadline. They can’t sign our trade for anyone unvaccinated. That might negate any competitive advantage they have playing at home right now.
Oh, Canada!
Slick way of avoiding the IL for Whit and Michael A. Taylor. They have the all-star break right after so they each get 10 days (3 Detroit days, 4 Toronto, 3 all-star) of rest without being put on the IL.
I would guess the Yankees are not in on Benintendi or Taylor considering this info.
Why? Because they can’t play in Toronto? That won’t stop them.
I think it will. Remember Judge and Rizzo got vaxxed when they were against it earlier. It’s a very real probability the Yankees will need to go to Toronto for the playoffs and they will need all hands on deck.
So we’d have to guess that with your statement of “very real probability the Yankees will need to go to Toronto”, that you assume that Toronto will be one of the 3 WC teams in the AL……guess you think that Cleveland, Seattle, Chicago, and possibly even Baltimore will just drop dead and allow the Blue Jays who just fired their manager to make it past them into the playoffs……..Toronto, unless they get some pitching and a lot of it, won’t be able to hit their way into the playoffs so I wouldn’t book your ticket to Toronto in Oct just yet.
Though I meant possibility instead of probability, I’m still not nearly ready to count Toronto out. They can improve at the trade deadline just like the Yankees can.
You were right Joe. Good call and my apologies for doubting.
The Kansas City unvaxxed
There’s the great unwashed, then there’s the great mentally unwashed aka those who can’t read history of the exact same thing happening back in 1920.
The Kansas City morons
That’s like the whole team. Jesus H I hope the royals win all of them now
This would be an interesting way for Drew Waters to debut.
Why not just take the AAA team and be done with it?
If you are looking at Royals players as possible trade targets, you have to take these players failures to vaccinate into account when you look at your remaining schedule. They are just worth less…how much less depends on how many games they miss and also whether they pose a risk to their teammates. This latest wave of COVID is a problem.
Now we know why Benatendi was a rumour to TO. It was obviously false!
Well, that’s a lot of players I’ve now lost my respect for.
Interesting how they’re always from our nations dumbest flyover states…might be a direct correlation??
The same mindset that thinks whoever wins the World Series is automatically “world champion”. Murica, F*** Yeah!
Nah it has more to do with every state in America except California cutting their education budget every single year for 42 straight years, with some states seeing who can race to the bottom the fastest – these unvaxxed players tend to come from those states: Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Florida, the Carolinas etc
Being that this site keeps record on all these players, someone could make up a master list of them then analyze this data properly…
Unvaxxed:
4 Phillies…Aaron Nola, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Gibson, and Alec Bohm.
4 Twins…Max Kepler, Emilio Pagán, Caleb Thielbar and Trevor Megill.
4 Reds…Tyler Mahle, Brandon Drury, Albert Almora, and Joel Kuhnel.
3 Athletics*…Austin Allen, A.J. Puk, and Kirby Snead.
2 Rays…Brooks Raley, and Ryan Thompson.
2 Red Sox…Tanner Houck and Jarren Duran.
2 Orioles…Anthony Santander and Keegan Akin.
2 White Sox…Dylan Cease and Kendall Graveman.
1 Mariners…Drew Steckenrider.
0 Yankees*
0 Rangers*
0 Astros*
*Operated with 28 man rosters while in TOR during April.
Now feel free to look at where those players were born and raised and deduce whatever you want from that information.
Bunch of morons.
10 players Jesus Christ half the damn team are a bunch of idiots
Really surprised with the total number of players but more surprised M.J. Melendez hasn’t been vaccinated.
Following this all year and as a general rule “Latin” players have all been vaxxed….it’s usually the guys you suspect married a cousin that end up on the ineligible list.
Bruh, MJ is an American. Born and drafted out of high school in FL.
Florida, you say????
(look at my other comments here)
It always feels condescending when people bring up the nationality thing with the vaccine, but it gets substantially worse when they get the nationalities of certain players wrong.
Most of them are all AAAA guys anyways , it’s the Royals ,other than Benni. Singer just pitched too , Merri is hurt ,so no big deal.
Pretty nice little advantage the Jays have there.
Their paychecks will reflect their choice @ free agent time!!! Also the teams trade value @ the deadline.
Sale on Benintendi Aisle 2! Go get him Cashman.
11 NYY unvaxed can’t wait for playoffs
Sorry to see my man MAT is one of these guys but he’s not the only Nat or former Nat to make that decision.
KC only team not to have had Covid IL 1 time…maybe they know what they know ..
When there’s this many they all should have to go play for Omaha to help out their AAA affiliate…
I love you all. let’s not let this get you riled up.
thank you and have a good rest of your evening. .
Now wonder KC is doing so poorly…..just not very smart, overall, it appears.
Canada doesn’t want people in the country who may be carriers and put others at risk (knowingly or unknowingly). Good for Canada.
One of the times I’m ok if the comments were closed
Imagine how many millions have died as a result of these players not doing what the government and TV tells them to do.
Can we just have one article mentioning Covid restricted list placements that doesn’t involve people pounding their chests for their political party?
It’s pathetic. Get off your knees for politicians
“Cough” Robbie Ray’s start was inexplicably skipped in Toronto “cough”
He wasn’t schedule to start but he didn’t make the trip.
Take their salaries away for long enough and you’ll see their true mindset and intentions.
Political beliefs aside, it’s nonsense that Toronto gets to play teams who are down 10 players and my favorite team has to play the same team at full strength in the middle of a playoff hunt.
The Jays should have to continue at the Bradenton complex until there is agreement between Canada and the USA. I’m a firm believer in the vaccine but don’t think anyone should be required to have it to do their job.
This situation creates competitve imbalance.
But at the same time, the Jays can’t acquire certain players they couldn’t sign certain players in the offseason or waiver claims. I get what you’re saying but I don’t feel it’s as big of an advantage as it seems.
You don’t think they’ll roll a lineup of:
C- AAA callup
1B- Pasquantino
2B- Lopez
SS- AAA callup
3B- Witt
LF- Olivares
CF- AAA callup
RF- AAA callup
DH- O’Hearn
Sure, they can’t sign certain guys but there are enough players that are vaccinated that when they cross one off the list who doesn’t fit they can pivot to a similar player or at least one who provides value above a random AAA player who may not even be replacement level.
I agree with you, Having 10 players out for a 4 game series is insane. But there were rumblings last week that the Jays were interested in Andrew Benintendi. Obviously that’s out of the question now. A player that would fit nicely in the lineup… But now the Yankees are showing interest in him. The Yankees can get him, the Jays cannot. the next player on the list is definitely not the caliber of Andrew Benintendi. I agree with everything you’re saying but I wouldn’t say it’s a 100% unfair advantage..
If the Royals can sub in so many, it’s time to cut ties with some of these older players who clearly aren’t 100% invested.
If we’re going to lose – we might as well do it with players who want to play in the majors – and will do it, regardless of what roster they are on.
Time to clean house.
A) same rules are in the US, if Vlad was unvaxxed he would miss 81 US games
B) jays didn’t have home games in 2020 and half of 2021 and I didn’t hear anyone complaining about the disadvantage that created.
Toronto will have a big edge come playoff time if all these bad teammates don’t get vaccinated.
Blue Jays should have held on to Montoyo for a few more days, see if the Jays could beat the Royals AAA team and then decide whether or not to fire him
Anyone with any amount of self awareness would understand that that they really don’t know the efficacy of the vaccine either way. None of you are disease experts, doctors, or scientists. You are being manipulated by your identity tribe which has nothing to do with facts – you see what you want to see.
That being said, according to the CDC, vaccinated people are much more likely to survive Covid. I’m not sure what the CDC has to gain with lying about that. I’m smart enough to know that I don’t know the first vaccines, so I acknowledge my limitations and trust scientists. Common sense and logic tell me they have nothing to gain by touting vaccines. Furthermore, what do I have to lose by taking it? Yes, 6 women died from the JandJ, but I haven’t heard one report of serious complications from it. Where 1,000,000 have died who were vast majority were unvaccinated. Anyone with a brain and any amount of critical thinkining would understand those odds and understand the smart choice is to get vaccinated. I’m an extremely independent person, and don’t like to be told what to do. So much so, that I’ve had my own business for the last 20 years. I challenge both the left and the right, and can assure you I’m a very independent and critical thinker and not a sheep.
Unfortunately, some people are just not smart enough to understand what they don’t know. They tend to believe in conspiracy theories, yet believe they are smarter than others. It’s called Dunning Kruger. With the rise of social media and people like Trump who prey on uneducated people, theories that vaccines are about control are on the rise. Instead of being independent thinkers, you are actually the sheep as you ignore science in favor of what feels good to you and what fits your identity. The irony is completely lost on you. Liberals do this as well. This is about using true intelligence, common sense, and reason. The true independent thinker isn’t left or right. They use facts over feelings, have self awareness, and can admit what they don’t know. They are willing to call out themselves or their tribe even if it makes them feel insecure. The truth is more important than their identity and they have the humility to look at opposing arguments and be wrong. The smartest people are the least confident in their opinions because they know how little they know in the grand scheme of things. The smartest people don’t brag, they listen because that’s how you learn.
All of you had to hsvr several vaccines as a child to attend school, yet oppose this one. Why?
Anyone with any amount of self awareness would understand that that they really don’t know the efficacy of the vaccine either way. None of you are disease experts, doctors, or scientists. You are being manipulated by your identity tribe which has nothing to do with facts – you see what you want to see.
That being said, according to the CDC, vaccinated people are much more likely to survive Covid. I’m not sure what the CDC has to gain with lying about that. I’m smart enough to know that I don’t know the first vaccines, so I acknowledge my limitations and trust scientists. Common sense and logic tell me they have nothing to gain by touting vaccines. Furthermore, what do I have to lose by taking it? Yes, 6 women died from the JandJ, but I haven’t heard one report of serious complications from it. Where 1,000,000 have died who were vast majority were unvaccinated. Anyone with a brain and any amount of critical thinkining would understand those odds and understand the smart choice is to get vaccinated. I’m an extremely independent person, and don’t like to be told what to do. So much so, that I’ve had my own business for the last 20 years. I challenge both the left and the right, and can assure you I’m a very independent and critical thinker and not a sheep.
Unfortunately, some people are just not smart enough to understand what they don’t know. They tend to believe in conspiracy theories, yet believe they are smarter than others. It’s called Dunning Kruger. With the rise of social media and people like Trump who prey on uneducated people, theories that vaccines are about control are on the rise. Instead of being independent thinkers, you are actually the sheep as you ignore science in favor of what feels good to you and what fits your identity. The irony is completely lost on you. Liberals do this as well. This is about using true intelligence, common sense, and reason. The true independent thinker isn’t left or right. They use facts over feelings, have self awareness, and can admit what they don’t know. They are willing to call out themselves or their tribe even if it makes them feel insecure. The truth is more important than their identity and they have the humility to look at opposing arguments and be wrong. The smartest people are the least confident in their opinions because they know how little they know in the grand scheme of things. The smartest people don’t brag, they listen because that’s how you learn.
Hear, hear!
Well spoken, Mr. Greenberg.
The real news will be KCR sweeps or takes the series over TOR.
I’ve been on this site for 4-5 years now and this is the worst comments section I’ve ever seen
As a life-long Royals fan, it’s extremely disappointing to see this.
We rank 30th in wins since 2000 and 10 players on the 26 man roster couldn’t even be bothered to get 1 shot so they could play every game. Talk about a bunch of chumps.
Dayton Moore needs to clean up his house. If not, he needs to step down. No excuses.
In the words of Rex Hudler, they “gots to go”.
We lost 3-1 at home to the Royal’s Triple-A team, the Omaha Storm Chasers? They were missing 10 unvaxxed regulars from their 36-53 team; and, actually started an AA pitcher, Angel Zerpa, who was a long way from his usual gig with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. He only allowed one run over five innings to out duel our big free agent signing, Kevin Gausman. Pitiful. The only reason the Jays are tied with Boston for the last wild card is because the Rays just completed a four game sweep of the Red Sox…
Why isn’t there a time stamp, in addition to the date on these comments?