"Despite his second go-around with Toronto not being as impactful and impressive as his first in 2024, Kiner-Falefa was nevertheless looked upon frequently by Jays manager John Schneider to come off the bench down the stretch and into the playoffs. Given the prime opportunity, Kiner-Falefa didn't manage to take full advantage of it as he batted just .233 with a .625 OPS while recording one home run and five RBIs in 31 total plate appearances over 19 games of action."
"He ended up struggling even more during the postseason, amassing a dismal .162 average with just four runs scored and two RBIs in 40 plate appearances over 15 playoff games. As a result, it will be hard to justify rostering Kiner-Falefa just for his defense on a ballclub that flourishes with role players contributing both offensively and defensively at the same time."
"France appeared to be the throw in during a trade deadline deal with the Twins that brought him and Louis Varland to Toronto. After all, just based on usage, Varland almost ended up playing in every single postseason game for Toronto, while France was utilized sparingly both during the regular season and in the playoffs when all was said and done."
Toronto enters the offseason with several key 2025 roster players reaching free agency and must make selective retention decisions due to roster needs and financial constraints. Six free agents are ranked by how much Toronto would want them back. At No. 6, Isiah Kiner-Falefa saw diminished impact compared with 2024, was used frequently off the bench, hit .233 with a .625 OPS in limited action, and struggled in the postseason with a .162 average. At No. 5, Ty France was a trade-deadline addition from the Twins who was used sparingly during the regular season and playoffs, while teammate Louis Varland saw heavier postseason usage; France also won his first career Gold Glove Award on November 3, 2025.
Read at Jays Journal
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]