With the Yankees starting to target some infield upgrades, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the team is keeping a close eye on Pirates’ shortstop Isiah-Kiner Falefa.
The name should be familiar to fans; he was the Yankees’ shortstop in 2022 and became their utilityman in 2023, being acquired alongside Josh Donaldson in a trade with the Twins.
DJ LeMahieu has done a solid job at second base, providing league-average offense with +3 Defensive Runs Saved, but they could be looking to add either a utilityman or someone to move Jazz Chisholm back to second base.
It’s clear that the team views DJLM in a positive light, and if he continues to be solid they may choose to just replace Oswald Peraza as their infield utilityman.
IKF would provide some versatility as a third baseman, second baseman, shortstop, and outfielder in Major League career.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Could Return to the Yankees This Upcoming Deadline
Across 65 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Isiah Kiner-Falefa has an 88 wRC+ and 0.4 fWAR, with more favorable defensive metrics when looking at Defensive Runs Saved.
He is known to be a brilliant defender at third base and second base, two positions where Oswald Peraza plays albeit with a much worse bat.
While IKF wouldn’t be a sexy upgrade, the Yankees would view it as a way to bolster their depth, and their options at the deadline could be very limited.
The Yankees are still figuring out who could be available at the trade deadline in July, as the third Wild Card spot has kept most of the league in the playoff race.
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Six teams in the American League are two games or fewer behind the third Wild Card spot while three teams in the National League are within three games.
That means you have 12 teams in a playoff spot currently while nine other teams are just a good week away from being in a playoff spot.
Some teams like the Braves and Orioles have gone from completely out of the race to being just six games back of a playoff spot with more than 50% of the season remaining.
Pittsburgh is clearly out of it though, and that could open the door for them to sell at the deadline.
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