Editorials

Dodgers Fans Don’t Seem Interested in a Potential Isiah Kiner-Falefa Trade

The Dodgers have been linked to Yankees shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa as a potential trade candidate ahead of the new season. Calling Kiner-Falefa a shortstop is actually a bit of a disservice to him, as he can play all around the diamond, which perfectly fits the mold of the type of players the Dodgers like.

Kiner-Falefa’s trade value at this point is pretty low, and the Yankees have some young guys they want to take the reins at shortstop. So, if there was ever a time to get Kiner-Falefa, it would be now.



However, with that being said, we ran a poll over on our Dodgers Nation Twitter account that got nearly 2,000 votes — and the vast majority of them were not interested in a trade for the Yankees utility man.

Of the 1,890 fans who votes, a whopping 77.1 percent of them said ‘no’ to a trade for IKF. Of course, the other 22.9 percent said ‘yes,’ but that’s less than a quarter of the voters.

I can understand both sides of it, however, Kiner-Falefa as an upgrade on the bench could be a good move for LA. If Trayce Thompson struggles, IKF would definitely be an upgrade as an off-the-bench player, and would provide a ton of depth all over the infield and outfield (and even catcher).

The 27-year-old has spent time at shortstop, third base, second base and catcher in his career, and is reportedly working out in the outfield this offseason. That’s the exact kind of guy that would be perfect for the Dodgers to add, especially with their lack of infield depth following the loss of Gavin Lux and Miguel Rojas’ move to starting shortstop.

On the other end of the spectrum, IKF is a below-average hitter. He’s never had an OPS+ above 100, and had an OPS of just .642 last year in 142 games. He also doesn’t have much slug in his bat.

I do think Kiner-Falefa would be an upgrade over some of the other bench options, and would provide a ton of versatility off the bench. I also think the Dodgers could get away with giving up a pretty minimal return for him. But, at this point in spring, Dodger fans don’t seem very interested in a potential move.

Do you want to see the Dodgers trade for Isiah Kiner-Falefa? Let us know in the comments below!

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Noah Camras

Noah is an Editor for Dodgers Nation. He graduated from USC in 2022 with a B.A. in Journalism and minor in Sports Media Studies. He's been a Dodger fan his whole life, and his all-time favorite Dodgers are Matt Kemp and Russell Martin.

4 Comments

  1. Famous 1950s & 60s 1st baseman for the Pirates and other MLB Teams Dale Long once put it best: “You can shake a dozen glove men out of a tree, but the bat separates the men from the boys.”

    John Kruk of the Padres, Phillies, and White Sox 1985~1995 said, “If you shake a tree in the minor leagues 10 gloves will fall out and 1 bat. Bats don’t sit on the bench.”

    You can spin and ask the same question a thousand different ways, a thousand times, but Dodger Fans are smart.

    Let the Yankees keep their glove. Show me a bat!

  2. Okay, this is huge and the writer did not mention it. IKF got a gold glove for playing third base one year! That plus he is above average as a fielder at short and second. That means he played 3b for a team—like the Dodgers—that has great hitters at other positions.

    Further, the Dodgers have some of the best bats in baseball and rank very high as a team in offensive production—just like the Yankees.

    With a question mark at short and an untested second baseman this year, it makes a ton of sense to add a guy to the team who is in the upper tier in MLB as a fielder at short and second.

    Come on guys, I want the Dodgers to go all the way this year. That means having back-up strength at many positions—and this guys fits that mold. Especially if we can get him cheap.

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