The New York Yankees had been through a pretty tough time in 2023. They want to change their luck for the next season. In fact, the NY side wants to build a strong squad that can help them reach the “Big Dance” after a long time. Moreover, the Bronx Bombers made it to the World Series in 2009, which was the last time. It has been almost 15 years since they made it to the Big Dance, let alone winning one. Hence, the fans want their team to make big changes to get there. But after the kind of season they had in 2023, it doesn’t really raise much hope.
For the first time since 2016, the Bronx Bombers failed to make the postseason. Anyway, the Yankees released a lot of players ahead of free agency this offseason. But they might regret leaving some of them. For instance, Isiah Kiner-Falefa is currently a free agent. Moreover, almost 12 teams have expressed their interest in signing the utility defender. Among them, the Yankees want to get him back. But whether Isiah agrees to return to the Yankees is not very certain.
Yankees Have To Fight Against 12 Teams To Get Back IKF
Previously, though, Isiah didn’t want to leave the NY side at the time of the trade deadline. But the question can come up: what are the Yankees thinking? Why would they leave him in the first place? Perhaps they left him thinking their first priority was reinforcing their offense. The NY side had an abysmal batting average in 2023. It was only better than the Oakland Athletics. Anyway, coming back to the Isiah Kiner-Falefa option, the Yankees will have tons of competition this offseason. According to Jon Heyman, an MLB insider, there are teams who are considering IKF for the positions of third base or short stop and super utility.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa has interest from about 12 teams, including the Yankees. Teams considering IKF for super utility, shortstop or third base.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 5, 2023
The Yankees have interest in re-signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa, per @JonHeyman
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) December 5, 2023
"About 12 teams" are interested in him pic.twitter.com/TPeH2QmBt1
Anyway, the Yankees are dealing with a lot of teams to acquire big names in the current free agency already. But now they have to fight hard to get back one of their own. They really made things difficult for themselves. In the last season, the Yankees made Anthony Volpe their shortstop and pushed Isiah to the outfield and defense. IKF did well in all the positions his team asked him to play. He had to play off the bench but did really well. IKF is really a utility player. Any team would be lucky to have him.
NY Side Needs Some Good Luck To Bounce Back In The Next Season
Things are getting just worse for Aaron Boone and the front office. Moreover, the Yankees must figure out how to tackle the injury issues. Last season, the NY side had one of the longest Injured List. Hence, they are struggling to keep up with the depth and stability of their roster. Many young and veteran players missed several games due to injuries. But nothing hurt the NY side more than the absence of their captain, Aaron Judge, because of a toe injury.
The captain’s absence led to the downfall of the NY side last season. Eventually, when Aaron Judge returned to the lineup, it was too late for the Yankees to qualify for the next round. But they did maintain the streak of winning seasons. In the end, the Yankees were 82-80. Moreover, the Bronx Bombers had to make a lot of changes in the coaching department as well.
