Blue Jays sign former Yankees utility man Kiner-Falefa

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed former New York Yankees utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa on a multi-year deal, according to multiple reports.

Sportsnet reported the news as a two-year, $15 million contract with Toronto.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa has signed a two-year, $15M deal with the Jays, Sportsnet can confirm. ✍️ pic.twitter.com/q347h1pPMZ

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 27, 2023

Kiner-Falefa hit .242 with 79 hits, six home runs, 37 RBIs, and 39 runs scored in 113 games in 2023 with the Yankees.

Over the course of his six-year career with New York as well as the Texas Rangers, he’s put up a .261 batting average, 577 hits, 26 home runs, 203 RBIs and 273 runs scored, while winning the 2020 American League Gold Glove award at third base.

Having spent 138 games at shortstop for New York in 2022, Yankees manager Aaron Boone opted for the “Swiss Army knife” approach last season with Kiner-Falefa.

He’s now a true utility man in every sense of the word, having played seven different positions for the Yankees in 2023, including four stints as a pitcher. The only spots he didn’t get to were first base and catcher, but perhaps Toronto will find a way to use him in those spots in 2024.

It’s the second transaction in as many days for the Blue Jays, who re-signed outfielder Kevin Kiermaier yesterday on a one-year deal worth $10.5 million.

After missing out on the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes where the Japanese superstar signed a deal worth $700 million, it seems like the Jays have been much more measured in their spending over the last few weeks.

Toronto is set to enter the 2024 season as one of the favourites in the American League once again, but the fanbase is antsy for the team’s first playoff win since 2016.

Despite making the postseason in three of the last four years, Toronto is currently riding a seven-game losing streak come playoff time, including three consecutive sweeps in best-of-three series dating back to 2020.

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