The Boston Red Sox didn’t waste time making moves this offseason, and one of their more intriguing additions came in the form of veteran infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The former Blue Jay made the leap from Toronto to Boston earlier this month, a move that not only adds depth to the infield but also helps patch the hole left behind by Alex Bregman’s departure to the Cubs.
Kiner-Falefa brings versatility and experience to a Red Sox roster that’s in the middle of a quiet but deliberate retool. He’s not the flashiest name in the lineup, but he’s the kind of player who does the little things right - and in a tight AL East race, that can make all the difference.
But before he’s even suited up in a Red Sox uniform, Kiner-Falefa is already stirring the pot.
Speaking to reporters this week, Kiner-Falefa reflected on last year’s postseason - specifically, the American League Wild Card game that saw the Yankees knock out the Red Sox. According to him, that result was met with relief in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse.
“We thought it was a better matchup for us the other way (facing the Yankees),” Kiner-Falefa said.
That’s the kind of comment that’s sure to raise some eyebrows in Boston. But from a competitive standpoint, he’s just calling it how he saw it.
The Blue Jays did, after all, handle the Yankees with relative ease in the ALDS before punching their ticket to the AL pennant. The numbers back it up - Toronto looked like a team on a mission, and New York never really had an answer.
Would they have had similar success against Boston? It’s a hypothetical that can’t be answered definitively, but based on how the postseason played out, it’s not far-fetched to think the Jays would’ve posed the same problems for the Red Sox as they did for the Yankees.
Still, comments like these don’t go unnoticed - especially in a rivalry as storied and emotionally charged as Red Sox-Yankees. The tension between these two teams doesn’t need any extra fuel, but Kiner-Falefa may have tossed a little gasoline on the fire anyway.
For Boston fans, this is the kind of quote that sticks. And for Kiner-Falefa, it’s a bold way to introduce himself to a passionate fanbase that expects its players to embrace the rivalry, not shy away from it. If nothing else, he’s already shown he’s not afraid to speak his mind - and that kind of edge could serve him well in a city that thrives on intensity.
Spring training hasn’t even started yet, but one thing’s clear: the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry just found a new subplot.