In a somewhat surprising move, the Pittsburgh Pirates placed Isiah Kiner-Falefa on outright waivers on Friday, according to Noah Hiles.
Kiner-Falefa was one of the more productive Pirates on the roster, accumulating 1.7 bWAR, second most by a position player behind outfielder Tommy Pham. In 117 games for Pittsburgh, Kiner-Falefa hit .268 and stole 15 bases. He’s mostly played shortstop, but filled in at third base as well.
He can continue to play for the Pirates through the weekend, but could be claimed by any other team.
If Kiner-Falefa is claimed this weekend, he’ll be eligible for the postseason with his new organization. The New York Yankees come to mind as a team that might want to look for reinforcements at shortstop, given the recent struggles of Anthony Volpe. Kiner-Falefa is a career 5-18 in six postseason games.
It’s likely that a team claims the veteran infielder. Productive infielders don’t typically become available this late in the season. Should he go unclaimed on waivers, he’ll be able to reject an assignment to the minor leagues due to his seven years of major league service time.
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The Pirates begin a three-game weekend series with the Boston Red Sox on Friday at Fenway Park.
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