Perrotto: Ex-Teammates Should Have Learned From Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Isiah Kiner-Falefa is like the guy who found his misplaced winning lottery ticket.
The veteran infielder signed a two-year, $15-million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2023-24 offseason as a free agent. However, when the Blue Jays fell out of contention last season, they traded Kiner-Falefa to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a prospect.
Now, Kiner-Falefa is back with the Blue Jays after they claimed him off waivers on Sunday from the Pirates. He goes from a last-place team to a first-place team.
It’s like hitting the lottery.
The Pirates were in contention for a National League wild card in late July last year. Kiner-Falefa looked like a prescient pickup as a player who could provide solid defense at multiple positions and steady hitting.
However, the Pirates soon plummeted out of the pennant race following a 10-game losing streak in August. Kiner-Falefa didn’t do much to help the cause, batting .240/.265/.322 with one home run in 50 games.
Surprisingly, the Pirates doubled down on Kiner-Falefa for 2025. They moved Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center fielder late last season and handed the starting shortstop job to Kiner-Falefa.
The move left many baseball people scratching their heads.
Few felt Kiner-Falefa was capable of being an everyday shortstop in the major leagues in his age-30 season. Even Kiner-Falefa said he wasn’t expecting that to happen when he came to the Pirates.
While Kiner-Falefa gave his best effort, he was among the worst shortstops in the major leagues when the Pirates put him on waivers. He was OK in the field with one defensive run saved in 94 games, but hit an empty .264/.300/.332 with only one homer in 428 plate appearances.
The Pirates saved around $1 million when the Blue Jays claimed Kiner-Falefa. His departure also opens more playing time for infielders Jared Triolo, Liover Peguero, Cam Devanney, and Nick Yorke. The Pirates need to learn more about all four players to determine if they fit into the team’s future.
However, the move also works out well for Kiner-Falefa.
He is returning to the Blue Jays, the team he had initially planned to be part of the last two seasons when he signed with Toronto. Kiner-Falefa also goes from the Pirates, who are going to finish last in the National League Central, to the American League East-leading Toronto Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays are 2 ½ games ahead of the New York Yankees in the division race and 7.5 games clear of the Texas Rangers for the last AL wild card with 24 games remaining.
So, Kiner-Falefa has a good chance of playing in the postseason for just the second time in his eight-year career. He was a member of the 2022 New York Yankees, who lost to the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series.
Kiner-Falefa didn’t make much of a mark on the field for the Pirates.
However, I’ll remember Kiner-Falefa because of one thing. He was the only player willing to speak about the Pirates’ poor culture following manager Derek Shelton’s firing in May.
Kiner-Falefa did it in a classy way. He didn’t take cheap shots or come across as a complainer.
In fact, Kiner-Falefa was professional in everything he did as a Pirate, from preparing for games to mentoring young players to dealing with the media during times when most of his teammates hid from the writers.
You don’t find many people like Kiner-Falefa in the Pirates’ organization. Hopefully, his former teammates paid attention.