OPINION: New York Yankees Should Cut Losses, Trade Isiah Kiner-Falefa

After promoting top prospect Anthony Volpe to the New York Yankees' MLB roster to open the season, the Yankees should consider trading shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Jack Vita writes.

With top shortstop prospects Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza nearing a Major League call-up, the New York Yankees chose not to pursue a star free agent shortstop on the open market following the club's 2021 season. Instead, the club found a stopgap in the form of the highly versatile Gold Glove Award winner Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

On March 12, 2022, the Yankees acquired Kiner-Falefa, Josh Donaldson and Ben Rortvedt in exchange for Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela. The Twins had picked up Kiner-Falefa from the Texas Rangers in exchange for Mitch Garver a day earlier.

Kiner-Falefa's first season in New York did not go as plan. Having earned a reputation as a smooth-fielding defensive shortstop, Kiner-Falefa struggled down the stretch of the 2022 season both offensively and defensively, and was benched in the playoffs.

Sunday the Yankees announced that Volpe had made the club's Opening Day roster, and Volpe, the no. 5 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com, is expected to be the club's starting shortstop to begin the season.

The Yankees can hang on to Kiner-Falefa for infield depth, but the club has a logjam of infielders — Josh Donaldson, DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres, Peraza, Volpe and Kiner-Falefa —  and will likely need to move at least one of them at some point. Peraza was optioned to Triple-A on Sunday, but given how he performed both in Triple-A and in the big leagues last season, I can't imagine he'll be staying in Triple-A very long.

In order to create room for Peraza at the Major League level, the Yankees will need to move at least one infielder. Kiner-Falefa seems to be the logical option.

If the Yankees shop IKF, they will have to accept that they will indeed be moving him at his lowest trade value, but sometimes, you just have to cut your losses and move on. IKF can still be a contributor on another team. The Los Angeles Dodgers lost shortstop Gavin Lux for the season earlier this month. The Atlanta Braves never added another shortstop to replace Dansby Swanson, after Swanson signed a seven-year deal with the Chicago Cubs. Perhaps either Atlanta or Los Angeles would be a logical home for Kiner-Falefa.

It might be painful, but sometimes you just have to rip the band-aid off.

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