To help plug a hole in their infield defense, the Boston Red Sox are signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a one-year deal, pending a physical, on Wednesday, league sources confirmed to The Athletic. Boston is still on the hunt for more offense, and according to a team source, the Red Sox are still seeking to add another bat with less than a week before spring training begins.
Kiner-Falefa, a right-handed hitter with a career .660 OPS, doesn’t fill the need for more power in the lineup, but he does give the Red Sox an “elite defender at multiple positions,” according to a team source. The Red Sox expect Kiner-Falefa to provide coverage across the diamond at second, third and shortstop, adding infield depth to an existing group.
Boston’s chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow, noted recently a desire to add a strong defensive infielder given the club’s recent additions of pitchers with higher ground-ball rates like Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray.
“It’s really important that we improve our defense, particularly our infield defense,” Breslow said. “Any additions that we may make, we’ll be very mindful of the defensive skill set.”
Kiner-Falefa appears to fill some of that need.
A Gold Glove winner at third base in 2020 for the Texas Rangers, Kiner-Falefa has been sure-handed across the diamond throughout his career. Though he’s played a majority of his games at shortstop (450 games) and third (234), he’s also logged 90 games at second base, an area of need for the Red Sox. A team source would not commit to a specific position for Kiner-Falefa, but he could man second, where he’s posted 12 Defensive Runs Saved and 2 Outs Above Average.
With Trevor Story anchoring the defense at shortstop and Willson Contreras at first, the rest of the Red Sox infield has remained in flux this offseason. In January, a team source noted a preference for Marcelo Mayer at third base given his strong defense at the spot after Alex Bregman’s injury last season. It’s not clear whether or how the addition of Kiner-Falefa will alter that perspective.
Although Mayer, a lefty hitter, often sat last season against left-handed pitchers, manager Alex Cora noted at Fenway Fest in January that he envisions more playing time against lefties for Mayer this season, indicating a more full-time role instead of a platoon. The Red Sox will also have infielders Romy Gonzalez, David Hamilton and Nick Sogard in the mix, as well as Nate Eaton and Kristian Campbell, who’ve seen time in the infield and outfield.
Though Breslow began the offseason harping on the need for power, Contreras is the only player with power potential the club has added, as it has pivoted after a failure to sign Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman to bolster the offense.
With a young, dynamic team, the Red Sox have leaned into their athleticism over the past year, and Kiner-Falefa fits that mold in some ways, having stolen 15 bases last season on 19 attempts. Over 138 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Toronto Blue Jays, he hit .262 with 21 doubles, a .631 OPS.
Meanwhile, as the club continues to seek more offense overall, The Athletic reported Wednesday that the Red Sox have been inquiring about right-handed-hitting outfielders. Among Boston’s four outfielders, Ceddanne Rafaela is the only right-handed hitter, with Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu all hitting lefty.
A team source noted that though the Red Sox have still received inquiries on their four outfielders, they’re holding a high bar in any potential deal.
With that in mind, any outfield addition would likely supplement the existing group as Rob Refsnyder did in recent years. Refsnyder signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Seattle Mariners this offseason. Among the outfielders available in free agency, Randal Grichuk, 34, owns an .857 OPS against lefties over the last three seasons.
Earlier Wednesday, the Red Sox claimed catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper off waivers from the Washington Nationals. Gasper debuted with the Red Sox in 2024 before he was traded to the Minnesota Twins that offseason.