Report: Pirates Shortstop Drawing Trade Interest

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have received interest in one of their infielders on the trade market.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reported that the Pirates are drawing interest for shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

Kiner-Falefa has had a strong season for the Pirates in 2025. He has slashed .299/.345/.375 for an OPS of .720, 55 hits in 184 at-bats, nine doubles, one triple, one home run, 10 walks to 31 strikeouts and nine stolen bases in 54 games.

He is tied for first on the Pirates for doubles and ranks second with hits, as he is currently averaging a career-high slash line.

Kiner-Falefa missed 10 games after going on the 10-day injured list with lower body discomfort on May 3 and came back on May 12 vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field.

The Pirates landed Kiner-Falefa in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays on July 30, 2024, with Charles McAdoo headed the other way.

He played 50 games with the Pirates in 2024, slashing .240/.265/.322 with 50 hits, 10 doubles, two triples, one home run, 10 RBIs, eight stolen bases and three walks to 41 strikeouts.

Kiner-Falefa hails from Hawaii and played for Mid-Pacific Institute in high school prior to the Texas Rangers taking him in the Fourth Round of the 2013 MLB Draft.

He would eventually come up to the Rangers in 2018 and played four season for them, 2018-21. He slashed .265/.316/.354, played in 1,523 games, with 372 hits in 1,404 at-bats, 59 doubles, 16 home runs, 118 RBI, 84 walks to 233 strikeouts and an OPS of .670. 

Kiner-Falefa also won an American League Gold Glove in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, playing at third base. He also led the American League with 136 singles in 2021.

The Rangers traded him to the Minnesota Twins, who then traded him to the New York Yankees prior to the 2022 season

He played in 142 games in 2022 for the Yankees, slashing .261/.314/.327, along with 126 hits, 20 doubles, 48 RBI, 22 stolen bases and 35 walks. 

Kiner-Falefa lost his shortstop starting job in 2023 in favor of Anthony Volpe. He served as a utility player for the Yankees last season, slashing .242/.306/.340, with 79 hits, 12 doubles, 37 RBI, 14 stolen bases and 28 walks in 113 games.

He chose to sign a two-year, $15 million contract with the Blue Jays in the 2023 offseason. He played in 82 games with them in 2024, slashing .292/.338/.420, with 75 hits, eight doubles, seven home runs, 33 RBI and 13 walks.

This is the final year of that contract and the Pirates can either trade Kiner-Falefa and see what they get back for him, or try to re-sign him in the offseason.