Red Sox sign $6 million free agent formerly of Yankees, Blue Jays originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox, based on various reports, had been looking for a utility infielder.
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They’ve got their guy, making a signing Wednesday night of Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported the deal, which is a one-year contract for $6 million.
Kiner-Falefa is a 30-year old who has won a Gold Glove in his career and most recently played for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The native of Honolulu was a fourth-round pick by the Texas Rangers in the 2013 MLB Draft.
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He came up through the minors as partially a catcher, but his time in the major leagues has been spent much more often in the infield.
He played his first four seasons for the Rangers, including the 2020 campaign when he was a Gold Glover at third base.
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Kiner-Falefa then spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the New York Yankees.
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He split 2024 between the Blue Jays and the Pittsburgh Pirates, in that order, then flip-flopped the other direction from Pittsburgh on to Toronto midway through the 2025 season.
IKF is a career .262 hitter with a .660 OPS.
He doesn’t have a ton of pop, with his career-high for home runs in a season being eight. He did steal 15 bases in 2025.
He’s known for being a great contact hitter who can play all over the infield, and those are certainly the two attributes the Red Sox were likely seeking out.
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This will be the third AL East Division club Kiner-Falefa plays for, so his name will be quite familiar as he puts on a Red Sox uniform and tries to make a positive impact for Boston.
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