New York Yankees fans question team trying reviled infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the outfield: "Absolutely not gonna end well" "I feel gaslit"
New York Yankees fans do not like infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Not one bit. So, when fans heard that the moderate-hitting 2020 Gold Glove Award winner was moving, there was a sigh of relief. Then, they heard he was moving ... to the outfield.
Reports came streaming in from multiple media outlets Tuesday that Kiner-Falefa, seen as little more than a blocker of playing time for heralded infield prospects Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza is working with coach Nick Swisher in the outfield and that manager Aaron Boone plans to start him in center field this week.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa has been working in the outfield with Nick Swisher. Aaron Boone plans to start IKF in center field later this week as he transitions into a utility role. #yankees
The move seems to have been made necessary by 1, Volpe's surge this spring and 2, center fielder Harrison Bader's injury. Boone plans to transition Kiner-Falefa into a full-field utility role. Although the player has never seen time in the outfield, he has competed at shortstop second base, third base and catcher in his five-year major league career.
While making a player like Kiner-Falefa an all-over utility man may seem to be a good experiment for the New York Yankees, the Kool-Aid may be too poisoned for their fans to accept.
This is absolutely not gonna end well. twitter.com/bryanhoch/stat… https://t.co/nzWCdaBGh3
It’s troubling that this is something they would even entertain. twitter.com/bryanhoch/stat…
I feel gaslit twitter.com/bryanhoch/stat…
Kiner-Falefa came to the Yankees from the Minnesota Twins in the Josh Donaldson trade last March. After four decent years with the Texas Rangers (he never played for the Twins), he took over as New York's primary shortstop last season.
Perhaps because he was just another man that wasn't the next Derek Jeter, he never lived up to even the low expectations that Yankees fans had for him. These days, along with light-hitting outfielder Aaron Hicks, he is the most reviled man in pinstipes.
Did IKF get a better arm in the offseason? Can't we just send him to AAA to serve as depth? Why are we forcing this?
#Yankees
#Repbx twitter.com/BryanHoch/stat…
as long as he gets traded or is a bench piece idc twitter.com/bryanhoch/stat…
Just DFA him!!! My god! Sign me to a contract why don’t you? twitter.com/bryanhoch/stat…
One ray of light, and some New York Yankees fans are seeing the light in Kiner-Falefa essentially ceding the starting shortstop competition, is that they seem likely to get their wish of Volpe – vouched for by none other than Jeter – taking the field at shortstop when the Yankees host the San Francisco Giants on opening day, March 30.
Has to mean Volpe is opening day short stop, right? @john_jastremski twitter.com/bryanhoch/stat…
This only means one thing…. Volpening day baby twitter.com/bryanhoch/stat…
does... does this mean peraza or volpe has the starting ss job? twitter.com/BryanHoch/stat…
Of course, now, some Yankees fans are already moving on to hating Kiner-Falefa for prospectively holding back another top prospect: heavy-hitting outfielder Jasson Dominguez.
They’ll give him a hicks type deal if he has a good season in center. This will push back Jasson Dominguez time in the minor. You know how cashman rollssss twitter.com/bryanhoch/stat…
New York Yankees fans just won't ever warm to Kiner-Falefa
New York Yankees fans either love or hate their players with immense passion. Kiner-Falefa clearly falls in the latter category. For a player seen as a "terrible hitter" by most of Yankees Nation, he's slashing .264/.316/.347 in his career. And while many claim "he didn't show up for the postseason," he hit .278 in last year's playoffs – which was a lot better than many of the team's superstars.
With news that Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford is already troubled by the same knee issue that shelved him for a month last season, maybe Kiner-Falefa could sneak out of Yankee Stadium on the San Francisco bus after the season-opening series. Kiner-Falefa, the Giants and the Yankees may all be happier for it.