Almost no one outside the front office for the Boston Red Sox had any idea Isiah Kiner-Falefa would be coming to town before Wednesday.
Yes, the Red Sox had an obvious vacancy on the infield after losing Alex Bregman. But most assumed that if any additions were coming, they would be surefire starters, and offensive upgrades over the likes of Nick Sogard, Romy Gonzalez, and David Hamilton.
Kiner-Falefa is not that, and for $6 million, it would appear that the Red Sox expect him to stick on the 26-man roster full-time. But fortunately, Boston is also leaving the door open to more moves.
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Red Sox still “in the market” for infield bat
Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media
at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
On Friday, Sean McAdam of MassLive reported fairly conclusively that the Red Sox were still searching for a more productive infielder than Kiner-Falefa, though a big move is by no means guaranteed at this juncture.
“Fortunately, there’s evidence to suggest that the Red Sox do not, in fact, see Kiner-Falefa as anything close to an everyday player,” McAdam wrote. “Industry sources indicate the team is still very much in the market for another infielder, presumably one with far more offensive upside.”
The Red Sox have been linked to a series of potential trade targets for weeks. Those that remain as feasible options appear to be Chicago Cubs second baseman and utility man Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw, and Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes.
The Red Sox reportedly agreed to a minor-league deal with former Colorado Rockies Gold Glove second baseman Brendan Rodgers on Thursday night, but he starts behind Kiner-Falefa on the depth chart by default, so it’s hard to imagine that has any impact on McAdam’s report.
The timing of everything that’s unfolded in the last week is also curious, as the Red Sox salary-dumped reliever Jordan Hicks to create $8 million in luxury tax payroll space, just to quickly add Kiner-Falefa for three-quarters of that figure.
Whatever happens over the next few weeks, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is going to have a hard time selling this roster to the fan base by opening day unless Kiner-Falefa is relegated to a clear bench role.
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