Aaron Boone responds to Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s Yankees shade

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays late in the 2025 season, played a role in the club’s journey to the World Series. However, he made some comments about the playoffs, throwing some shade at the New York Yankees in the process. Manager Aaron Boone responded to those comments on Wednesday.

The soon-to-be 31-year-old infielder claimed that he and the Blue Jays were hoping for the Yankees to defeat the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Round, as Toronto allegedly viewed New York as the easier matchup for the team, according to NBC Sports Boston. The Blue Jays seemingly got their wish and ended up defeating the Yankees in the ALDS.

“We definitely felt like it was a tougher matchup for us, “said Kiner-Falefa about the Red Sox. “Once we saw the [Yankees], we were a lot happier.”

When brought to his attention, Boone admitted that he was surprised by Kiner-Falefa’s comments, per Yankees Videos. However, he also stated that he is not bothered by the comments either.

“I guess he was right,” said Boon. “A little surprising to hear IKF say that, but whatever. That’s fine… You gotta play who you play.”