Blue Jays trade Isiah Kiner-Falefa in second move of deadline day

The Toronto Blue Jays have made their second trade of the day, sending Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Trade news: The Pittsburgh Pirates are finalizing a deal to acquire superutilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the Toronto Blue Jays, sources tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2024

This deal is one that will make Jays fans excited, as they are getting Charles McAdoo in return. The 22-year-old left fielder is having an impressive season in Double-A ball, hitting .315 with 14 home runs and 63 RBIs in 327 at bats. He instantly slots in as one of the Jays’ best hitting prospects.

As @feinsand reported, Charles McAdoo a part of the return for IKF. McAdoo currently No. 29, but was going to jump into top 15 on @Pirates list in the re-rank. https://t.co/SbmHQItys8

— Jonathan Mayo (@JonathanMayo) July 30, 2024

Kiner-Falefa was signed to a two-year, $15 million deal by the Blue Jays last offseason, a deal that was underwhelmingly received by a large chunk of the fan base. The 29-year-old’s joining the Jays felt like a big letdown after the club was believed to be close to signing Shohei Ohtani, who instead went to the LA Dodgers.

Despite the initial frustration with the Kiner-Falefa signing, however, he was able to quickly change the minds of many thanks to some solid play. The versatile veteran appeared in 82 games with the Blue Jays, hitting .292 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs, numbers that far exceeded initial expectations.

The Blue Jays’ first trade today came roughly an hour earlier, when they sent reliever Trevor Richards to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for High-A infielder Jay Harry. In the days leading up to today’s deadline, the Jays moved several others in Yimi Garcia, Nate Pearson, Danny Jansen, Justin Turner, and Yusei Kikuchi.

Despite the deadline quickly approaching at 6 pm ET, the Jays may make a last second move, as Chad Green and Kevin Kiermaier are players whose names have been discussed in recent weeks as potential trade candidates.

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