What Isiah Kiner-Falefa brings to the Pirates (0:57)
Jeff Passan analyzes the Pirates’ acquisition of Isiah Kiner-Falefa before the trade deadline. (0:57)
ESPN News Services
Jul 30, 2024, 06:03 PM ET
With an eye on a playoff push, the Pittsburgh Pirates added two new bats ahead of Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline.
The Pirates acquired outfielder Bryan De La Cruz from the Miami Marlins and utility player Isiah Kiner-Phalefa from the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.
The Pirates dealt infield prospect Garret Forrester and right-handed pitching prospect Jun-Seok Shim to Miami for De La Cruz, and they sent infield/outfield prospect Charles McAdoo to Toronto in the Kiner-Falefa deal.
In Kiner-Falefa, the Pirates are getting a player who has appeared as a second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, outfielder and emergency pitcher this season alone.
The 29-year-old is batting a career-best .292 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs in 82 games in his first season with Toronto. Across 729 career games for the Texas Rangers (2018-2021), New York Yankees (2022-23) and Blue Jays, Kiner-Falefa is a .264 hitter with 33 homers, 236 RBIs and 77 stolen bases.
Kiner-Falefa has been out since June 30 with a sprained knee but is due back soon. He signed a $15 million, two-year contract last winter that pays $7.5 million each in 2024 and 2025.
McAdoo, now heading to Toronto, is batting .315 in 87 games between High-A and Double-A this season. The 22-year-old was the No. 29 prospect in the Pirates’ system, according to MLB Pipeline.
De La Cruz, 27, led the Marlins with 18 home runs and 51 RBIs while batting .245 in 105 games this season. He is one homer away from tying his career high set last year.
In 431 career games for Miami since debuting in 2021, De La Cruz has batted .258 with 55 homers and 191 RBIs.
Shim, 20, was the No. 17 prospect in the Pirates’ farm system, and Forrester, 22, is No. 18.
Earlier in the day, Pittsburgh acquired left-handed relief pitcher Josh Walker from the New York Mets for minor league left-hander Nicolas Carreno.
Field Level Media contributed to this report.