The New York Yankees urgently require an infielder for third base, which has been a persistent issue. Despite Isiah Kiner-Falefa's impressive season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he is not the ideal trade target for the Yankees. His past performance in New York and lack of upside do not justify the cost. Kiner-Falefa's defensive shortcomings could negate the improvements made to the infield. A cheap trade for him would not position the Yankees effectively for a World Series run.
Adding Kiner-Falefa would be a slight upgrade, and it would come very cheap for the Yankees, but it's not the right move to make.
The problem with that idea is that Kiner-Falefa doesn't possess enough upside to justify the prospect capital Pittsburgh will require to land him.
Kiner-Falefa was disliked by a majority of the fan base when he played in the Bronx. He might hit for a solid average now, but his power numbers and defense struggle.
The Yankees need to keep their powder dry at shortstop to focus on other positions. Kiner-Falefa's defensive weakness would also undo a lot of the good work Cashman and company have done to upgrade their infield gloves.
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