The Blue Jays have agreed to a two-year, $15MM take care of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, in accordance with FanSided’s Robert Murray (X hyperlink). The deal contains one other $1MM in incentives, and it’ll grow to be official when Kiner-Falefa passes a bodily. Kiner-Falefa is represented by ALIGND.
Kiner-Falefa gained a Gold Glove because the Rangers’ common third baseman in 2020, however he hasn’t since performed a lot time on the sizzling nook, since Texas used him primarily at shortstop in 2021 and the Yankees did the identical in 2022. This previous season noticed New York shift IKF throughout the diamond since Anthony Volpe took over because the on a regular basis shortstop, with Kiner-Falefa racking up lots of taking part in time in middle discipline (278 1/3 innings), left discipline (248 innings), again at third base (240 1/3 innings), proper discipline (40 innings), shortstop (eight innings) and a lone inning as a second baseman. The general public defensive metrics had been combined on his outfield work, however Kiner-Falefa graded fairly effectively as an infielder, significantly in his return to 3rd base.
With Matt Chapman a free agent, it will seem to be the Blue Jays might set up Kiner-Falefa as their common third base choice in the meanwhile, giving the membership no less than a glove-first starter if both Chapman indicators elsewhere or if a extra clear-cut starter can’t be discovered. That stated, IKF might be much less of a Chapman substitute than he’s a substitute for Whit Merrifield, one other right-handed hitter who was deployed frequently as a second base and within the outfield. Kiner-Falefa provides much more versatility since Merrifield performed little or no third base and no shortstop.
IKF can be a greater defensive match at third base than any of Toronto’s incumbent crop of infielders, similar to Cavan Biggio, Davis Schneider, Santiago Espinal, or Ernie Clement. Biggio is the one left-handed bat in that group, so it stands to cause the Jays would possibly commerce one of many righty-swingers now that Kiner-Falefa is on board. Including a extra skilled Main Leaguer additionally provides the Blue Jays extra flexibility in giving extra minor league analysis time to high prospects Orelvis Martinez or Addison Barger, who ought to each be within the Present sooner or later in 2024 and will issue into the infield image (significantly at third base).
Whereas Kiner-Falefa may go from a depth and glovework perspective, nevertheless, he doesn’t characterize a lot or any assist to the Blue Jays’ bigger want for offense. Kiner-Falefa hit .242/.306/.340 over 361 plate appearances with the Yankees final season, basically matching his .261/.314/.346 slash line over 2415 profession PA on the massive league stage. This interprets to an 81 wRC+ — tied for the fourth-lowest whole of any participant with greater than 2000 PA for the reason that begin of the 2018 season.
The shortage of offense has restricted Kiner-Falefa to three.8 fWAR over his six Main League seasons, regardless of his defensive contributions. He hardly ever strikes out, but this contact-hitting method hardly ever yields arduous contact, and he has little energy to talk of with solely 26 profession residence runs.
A two-year, $15MM contract looks as if a fairly good rating for Kiner-Falefa with this lack of offense in thoughts, but there was nonetheless fairly a little bit of curiosity within the utilityman on the open market. The Brewers, Dodgers, Marlins, and Yankees had been all linked to Kiner-Falefa on the rumor mill, and Toronto’s personal curiosity in IKF was first cited by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi earlier this month.
Between Kiner-Falefa as we speak and yesterday’s settlement with Kevin Kiermaier, the Blue Jays have sprung into motion after a quite quiet offseason attributable to the workforce’s deal with chasing Shohei Ohtani. The Jays remained no less than speculatively linked to various different gamers apart from Ohtani, after all, as GM Ross Atkins’ entrance workplace routinely checks in on principally each obtainable free agent or commerce goal as a matter of due diligence. Whereas Kiner-Falefa and Kiermaier ought to assist protect the Jays’ wonderful protection from 2023, some offensive pop appears crucial, whether or not at DH or to additional bolster the infield or outfield image.
As per Roster Useful resource, the Jays’ 2024 payroll tasks to be simply shy of the $230MM mark with Kiner-Falefa now on the books. This leaves a little bit of area remaining earlier than Toronto hits the $237MM luxurious tax threshold, although that isn’t actually a barrier contemplating that the Blue Jays exceeded the tax line (for the primary time in franchise historical past) final season.
Photograph courtesy of USA Immediately Sports activities Photos
