"I'm still positioned in the same spot" - New York Yankees reportedly acquired Andrew Benintendi without a vaccination agreement, outfielder remains inclined toward staying unvaccinated

The New York Yankees recently acquired outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals. The team now has one of the best contact hitters in baseball to go balance out their power-heavy lineup.

Benintendi made headlines weeks prior, not traveling to Toronto to play the Blue Jays because he is unvaccinated. Canada refuses admission to anyone not vaccinated against COVID-19. The New York Yankees acquired the outfielder despite his potential to miss future games north of the border. Benintendi spoke on the issue during his introductory press conference.

"Andrew Benintendi on his vaccination status/plan: 'I'm still positioned in the same spot. I'm open minded about it. I'm not against it. But time will tell.' Benintendi said that getting vaccinated was not something he had to agree to before getting traded." - Lindsey Adler

Benintendi later stated he had not spoken to the Yankees organization about his vaccination status.

"Andrew Benintendi said this afternoon that he had not yet spoken with Yankees officials or players about his vaccination status. 'I know there was a few reports about that, but I don't know where they came from.'" - Lindsey Adler

As of right now, Benintendi will be unable to participate in games that take place at Rogers Centre.

New York Yankees outfielder Andrew Benintendi having breakout season

Andrew Benintendi trots the bases during a Kansas City Royals v Los Angeles Angels game this season.

Newly acquired New York Yankees outfielder Andrew Benintendi is having a great season in 2022. The left-hander is currently batting .320 with three home runs and 39 runs batted in. Here are some of his early season highlights.

Benintendi provides the Yankees with a solid contact bat to complement the likes of Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, and Giancarlo Stanton. He is also an above-average defender in the outfield, as he won a Gold Glove a season ago.

Now that he is in the Bronx, Benintendi's power numbers should improve dramatically. Being a left-handed bat going from a very pitcher-friendly park in Kauffman Stadium to Yankee Stadium will make a huge difference.

While Benintendi may not be the star player Juan Soto is, he does make a huge difference for the 2022 Yankees. He may perhaps be the final piece for a championship Yankee team.

For more news and updates, go to the Sportskeeda Baseball page.