The Pirates are letting him go, getting nothing in return.
The Pirates made a surprising move this afternoon, putting utility infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa on outright waivers. This happens just two days before the Aug. 31 deadline, in which players claimed on waivers can be eligible for postseason play. Kiner-Falefa will remain on the Pirates roster until he is presumably claimed.
Most thought that along with rentals Tommy Pham and Andrew Heaney, IKF would be gone at the trade deadline for whatever value the Pirates could get in return. Despite interest from the Cubs, Yankees, Giants and Brewers, the Pirates decided to keep IKF for infield depth, and now he and Heaney are gone before August.
“I think we probably felt less motivation to move more of our infield once the Ke’Bryan trade was done,” Pirates GM Ben Cherington said after the deadline.
But now Kiner-Falefa’s potential departure gives way for more playing time for a guy like Liover Peguero at third base (and short), along with Cam Devanney and Nick Yorke, to prove that they belong on the team in 2026. Devanney was acquired from the Royals in the Adam Frazier trade in July and has been crushing it in Triple-A all season, and Yorke has had a down year after being acquired from Boston for RHP Quinn Priester at last year’s deadline.
As for IKF, he was about what you would expect he would be in his Pirates tenure, a .260 hitter with no pop and a solid glove that can play multiple positions. His ceiling offensively is what he did with the Blue Jays in the first half of last season, hitting .292 with a .758 OPS and seven home runs, before being traded to the Pirates. He never sustained that during his time here, and to think he would as the starting shortstop (which is not his best position defensively) was certainly naive. Falefa was serviceable defensively as a shortstop, but only hit two home runs in 600 at-bats with the Pirates.
Kiner-Falefa was owed $7.5 million this season, and he has $1.21 million left on his contract.
Category: General Sports
