The New York Yankees’ newly transformed utility player, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, opened up on what went wrong for him in the infamous shortstop battle.
On Sunday, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the New York Yankees infielder, made his debut in the outfield in the center. The team’s regular center fielder, Harrison Bader, is reeling under an oblique injury, and no timeline is set for his return. Hence, the front office carried on with their spring training plan, which led to Isiah’s much-anticipated outfield debut.
However, what led to this transformation in the first place? Isiah Kiner-Falefa, traditionally is an infielder, a shortstop, to be precise. Last season when the Yankees acquired him via a blockbuster trade from the Texas Rangers, they handed him the shortstop responsibility in the starting lineup. Further, just after a few poor outings, the Bombers demoted him to the second base. However, it’s the recently concluded Grapefruit League that sealed his fate in the outfield.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Reveals The Exact Moment When He Lost The Shortstop Battle
The New York Yankees hosted one of the most exciting shortstop battles in this year’s spring training. Top prospects Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza, and infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa participated in the competition and fought until the end. While a 21-year-old Volpe won the prestigious battle, Isiah had to pull out mid-way. Isiah later opened up to the orderly for the first time and blamed himself for the lost opportunity.
During Gerrit Cole‘s first start of spring on March 3, Isiah Kiner-Falefa committed a routine error at the shortstop. It was at this moment the infielder knew he messed up and possibly ended his shortstop journey. However, Isiah considers it a blessing in disguise. After the game, skipper, Aaron Boone, approached him with an outfield plan to which the shortstop aspirant immediately agreed. He knew he wouldn’t make it as a shortstop considering the stats of his other two competitors. Hence, he decided to leave the battle mid-way and transformed into a utility player overnight just to keep his place in the lineup intact.
Fans Stand Divided Over Kiner-Falefa’s Latest Admission
Meanwhile, the New York Yankee fan base had mixed reactions to Isiah’s recent admission of the events that led to his transformation into a utility player. Some believe the former infielder had no choice but to give in to the team’s request as he had no leverage left to stand on. On the other hand, a certain section of fans praised Isiah Kiner-Falefa for his dedication to the franchise and called him a selfless team player.
The fans have never liked Isiah Kiner-Falefa ever since his arrival in the Bronx last season. His poor performance is the major contributor to the hate and boos he receives in the Yankees’ stadium. Regardless, Isiah is serious about his MLB career, if not the Yankees, to say the least. In case he moves to another team at some point in the future, he needs a strong CV to get the desired contract value. Moreover, adding “utility player” under the skill section will just add another star to the infielder-turned-outfielder’s resume.
