Blue Jays Predicted To Lose Key Bench Piece to Angels in Free Agency This Offseason
In this story:
The Toronto Blue Jays liked super utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa enough ahead of the 2024 season that they signed him to a multi-year deal in free agency.
A two-year, $15 million deal was agreed upon to help bolster the lineup in several ways. With experience playing all over the diamond, the Blue Jays were going to take advantage and deploy Kiner-Falefa everywhere depending on need. He started games at third base, second base and shortstop while also making a cameo in center field and on the pitching mound.
Alas, despite how well he played, his stay with the franchise was a short one. Ahead of the MLB trade deadline, Toronto traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for prospect Charles McAdoo. He spent more than a calendar year with the Pirates before being placed on outright waivers by the team.
Seeing an opportunity to reunite, the Blue Jays jumped at the chance. They claimed Kiner-Falefa to bolster their infield depth for the stretch run. It has proven to be a shrewd move, especially with star shortstop Bo Bichette going down with an injury. Replacing his bat in the lineup will be virtually impossible, but Toronto can rest easy knowing they are going to receive a massive upgrade defensively at the very least.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Predicted To Land With Angels in Free Agency
This is a golden opportunity for Kiner-Falefa to showcase his talent on a big stage ahead of free agency. His versatility will generate value on the market, as this tenure with the Blue Jays is expected to be short-lived as well. That is because Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report has predicted he will be moving on in free agency, landing with the Los Angeles Angels.
In a recent piece, Reuter made predictions about what each team’s Opening Day lineup would look like in 2026. Kiner-Falefa isn’t part of the mix with the American League East leaders. Instead, he has been predicted to sign a deal with the Angels to take over as their starting third baseman.
Defensively is where he holds the most value. The versatility is nice, but sometimes, players are moved around because they don’t excel at a single spot. That isn’t the case with Kiner-Falefa, who makes a positive impact everywhere. He won the Gold Glove Award in 2020 with the Texas Rangers, rewarding his incredible defensive ability.
Alas, his ceiling is capped because of his bat. He has been a below-average producer at the plate in his career. That is, outside of his first stint with Toronto when he raked. Through 83 games and 281 plate appearances, he was producing career-best numbers with a .292/.338/.420 slash line with an OPS+ of 114.
Those numbers haven’t been replicated. But, at the very least, he provides an impact with his glove and speed. The Angels would benefit greatly from adding him to their lineup, and he would prove to be a sizable loss for the Blue Jays to overcome this winter. Kiner-Falefa isn't the only prediced loss, with Ty France also expected to move on.
