New York Yankees fans upset with report that team signed shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a one-year, $6 million deal

The New York Yankees and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa have agreed to a one-year, six-million-dollar deal. IKF didn't have the year he was hoping for in New York. He was benched for his defensive problems in the ALCS. The team went with rookies Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera in the series against the Houston Astros.

With the deal, the team avoided arbitration. It's unclear what role Isiah Kiner-Falefa will have with the team in 2023. He can be traded if the team is comfortable with what they have at shortstop.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa had a slash line of .261/.314/.642. It was his second-worst performance at the plate in his short five-year career so far. His .968 fielding percentage last season was the lowest of his career.

New York Yankees fans aren't happy to see IKF back. They don't think he brings much to the team. Fans want to see the team commit to their younger guys.

Some fans don't understand what the team is doing by bringing him back. He wasn't good during his one year with the Yankees, and fans don't see him getting any better. They're hoping he isn't the team's starting Opening Day shortstop.

Other fans believe they signed Isiah Kiner-Falefa so that they can trade him later. They did the same thing with catcher Gary Sanchez last year before trading him to the Minnesota Twins in the Josh Donaldson deal.

Could Isiah Kiner-Falefa get some run at third base this year if he stays with the Yankees?

By the end of the season, Oswald Peraza had shown sparks of what he could bring to the team, both offensively and defensively. In 18 games with the Yankees, Peraza hit .306, with a home run, and two stolen bases.

When Josh Donaldson was on paternity leave, New York moved IKF to third and put Peraza at short. In that series against the Minnesota Twins, Kiner-Falefa made a number of plays at third base. He also hit a game-tying RBI in Game One and a game-winning grand slam in Game Two.

Kiner-Falefa at third base is something to look at. With Josh Donaldson struggling for much of the 2022 season, IKF could see more appearances at third.

It will be interesting to see what the Yankees plan to do with Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Will they trade him, or is he going to be on the 2023 Opening Day roster?

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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