Isiah Kiner-Falefa ‘Thankful’ to Be With Pirates Past Deadline, Open to Returning Next Season
PITTSBURGH — The trade deadline came and went, and the Pittsburgh Pirates looked different at the start of August than they did at the end of July.
The Pirates made six trades last month, including deals that sent Gold Glove third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds and two-time All-Star closer David Bednar to the New York Yankees.
The expectation was that the Pirates would trade several players on the roster who are set to hit free agency after the season, but they opted to keep a couple of the guys playing on expiring contracts.
Among those who remained with the Pirates was Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who thought he’d be playing for a new team right now.
“It was surprising for sure, but I’m thankful to be here,” he said on staying put. “For them to bring me in the year before and then ship me out, that would have been tough for me personally. It would have been nice to have an opportunity to play in the playoffs as well, but it’s the reality and I’m happy to be here.”
Kiner-Falefa landed with the Pirates at last year’s trade deadline, so he had an understanding of how to deal with the unknown of what could transpire.
Operating under the assumption that he would be traded, Kiner-Falefa’s focus was to try and set the Pirates up for the future through his performance on the field.
“I was really trying to get a good prospect back and help the organization moving forward,” he explained. “My job is to help this team get better, if it’s me on the team or me getting traded. I was just trying to do anything I could to make sure the guy they would’ve gotten in return would be able to help this team win a World Series.”
But the Pirates’ decision to keep Kiner-Falefa has its benefits.
In his eight-year career, the 30-year-old has played every position other than first base. But with the Pirates this season, Kiner-Falefa was pegged as the everyday shortstop.
After a couple of the deals made leading up to the deadline, there’s an opportunity for him to put his versatility to use more frequently. Once the Pirates traded Hayes, there was an opening at third base, which has been filled by Kiner-Falefa over the last few games.
“I think now it’s time to see what [Liover Peguero] and [Jared Triolo] got [at shortstop]. So just by moving me over gives them a little opportunity to battle it out a little bit. I’m curious to see them battle it out.”
Peguero and Triolo are among a handful of players who will be getting extended looks during the final eight weeks for the season as the team looks towards 2026.
Remaining with the Pirates allows Kiner-Falefa to serve as a mentor from some of the younger players on the roster, which he takes a lot of pride in as he looks to change the culture in Pittsburgh.
“That was one of the reasons I didn’t want to get traded. I feel like my light shines brighter in the dark. I enjoy these opportunities to help younger players,” he explained. “Knowing that I’m gonna be here the rest of the year allows me to really dig in more. I was trying to get it all done before the deadline. Now that we have more time together I feel like it’s awesome for us, for the young guys and I’m happy to help them any way I can.”
Kiner-Falefa’s tenure with the Pirates hasn’t gone that way he was hoping for when he was acquired at last year’s deadline with hopes of getting Pittsburgh back to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
When he was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays, the Pirates were in the thick of the National League wild card race. But a collapse last August quickly erased any chances of contending.
The struggles to end last year carried over into this year, leading to the dismissal of manager Derek Shelton in May, an early indication that 2025 was a lost season.
Despite the team’s struggles and some understandable frustration at times, Kiner-Falefa would be open to returning to the Pirates next year – and perhaps beyond – though he knows that isn’t his decision.
“For me, I enjoy playing here,” he said. “I really want to be a part of it when this organization wins.”
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