The Tampa Bay Rays have added and subtracted players this winter. They haven’t been as busy in the infield compared to the outfield. While the outfield has seen an enormous amount of fluctuation, the infield has been relatively quiet, except for one major move. That dichotomy could be changing as the Rays prepare to report to spring training next month.
The Rays could add further infield depth and fill the role that Ha-Seong Kim occupied last season. Did anyone see the latest injury that Kim suffered this winter? In any event, how does someone like Isiah-Kiner Falefa sound?
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Could Be a Good Fit for the Rays
Does This Man from Hawaii Make Sense?
The Rays have a pair of talents locked into their respective positions on the infield corners. It’s the middle of the infield that contains a little intrigue. The second base position appears to have been stabilized. The shortstop position has become a revolving door since Willy Adames departed for the Bay Area. With names like Wander Franco, Jose Caballero, and the aforementioned Kim, the Rays could use stability for a change.
Just Baseball’s Jay Staph is recommending that the Rays sign Kiner-Falefa, who spent the 2025 season on the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. Staph predicts that Kiner-Falefa could be signed for a modest one-year, $4 million contract. That short-term contract could prove beneficial for the Rays because they could sell him at the trade deadline if they are floundering in late July. Taylor Walls is still an option at shortstop, but the Rays could upgrade the infield depth at a relatively modest price point. He has defensive experience at every infield position except first base. He did a solid job filling in for Bo Bichette in Toronto when he was battling injuries two years ago.
Our @jmstaph24 put themselves in the shoes of Rays’ POBO Erik Neander and considered five moves that will best round out their 2026 roster: https://t.co/B28rhqUBkF
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) January 18, 2026
The Fit with Tampa Bay
Kiner-Falefa slashed .262/.297/.334 with two home runs and 40 RBI last season. That production translated to 75 wRC+ over 138 games. That basically aligned with his career 82 wRC+, but there were a handful of things to like about his numbers last season.
Speaking of Walls, who has never posted a wRC+ above 84 in his career, Kiner-Falefa does a very good job in the batter’s box. He has solid plate discipline with a 16.8% strikeout rate that is above the league average. Basically, Kiner-Falefa has no extra-base power, as he only hit two home runs last season. He makes up for it with one of the better squared-up rates in the league. His 29.6% squared-up rate was 38th in baseball, ahead of talents like Xander Bogaerts and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. last season. The guy hits a ton of singles by making good contact with his swings.
Kiner-Falefa doesn’t swing hard or fast. He plays solid defense (43rd percentile in Outs Above Average) and runs well (47th percentile in Sprint Speed). The Rays led the league with 194 stolen bases last season (30 more than Milwaukee) and Kiner-Falefa could safely contribute to that grand total. He represents a potentially useful piece for this young roster.
What’s Going On?
It is a little shocking that a productive veteran like Kiner-Falefa hasn’t found a home yet, but that’s the nature of the free agent market nowadays, where players remain unsigned for a long period of time. He’s still only 30 years old and has plenty of experience in the American League East with the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. Carson Williams is the future at shortstop, but he will likely begin the season at Triple-A before seeing extended reps at the big league level.
If the Rays pass on Kiner-Falefa, then Tim Anderson is really the only other shortstop option still remaining on the market. Or they may want to make further additions at second base. Kiner-Falefa is plenty motivated after a controversial 2025 World Series Game 7 play during which the Los Angeles Dodgers forced him out at home. It wasn’t entirely his fault, and a prideful player is surely motivated to write a new chapter with a new team.
Main Photo Credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images