Pirates might've actually overpaid in Isiah Kiner-Falefa trade with Blue Jays

The Pittsburgh Pirates made arguably their biggest move in the final minutes before Tuesday’s trade deadline when they acquired super utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa and cash from the Toronto Blue Jays for IF/OF prospect Charles McAdoo.

Sure, the Pirates picked up a strong defensive utility player in Kiner-Falefa. But they have a roster full of strong defensive utility players. What they need are bats, and they may not have done enough to improve the offense to be competitive in the postseason – or even reach the postseason, for that matter.

Kiner-Falefa is batting .292/.338/.420 with seven homers in year one of a two-year, $15 million deal with Toronto. He has excellent pitch recognition, posting a 13.3% whiff rate and a 13.2% strikeout rate. He has logged time at second base, third base and shortstop this year, and he has played at every position at various points in his career – including pitcher and catcher.

The 29-year-old super utility player is having a career year at the plate, which would carry more weight if his career offensive numbers weren't below-average. That said, Kiner-Falefa's 2024 numbers would still make him a top-four hitter in the Pirates lineup today – but that says more about the Pirates than it does about him.

Pirates might've actually overpaid in Isiah Kiner-Falefa trade with Blue Jays

Since turning pro, all McAdoo has done is rake. Selected in the 13th round of last year’s MLB Draft out of San Jose State, he has been the best hitter in the Pirates’ minor league system this year. McAdoo was slashing .336/.415/.561 with High-A Greensboro before a promotion to Double-A Altoona, where he hit .269/.347/.490 with five homers in 118 plate appearances.

The Pirates had been trying McAdoo at third base this year, but he profiles more as a corner outfielder long-term. If the offense he’s shown thus far in pro ball is indicative of his potential when he reaches the big leagues in the next two or three years, the Pirates may very well regret trading him away.

Is McAdoo’s first full pro season the real deal? Is Kiner-Falefa’s offensive breakout a fluke, or will he be able to sustain this level of production through the end of 2025? Ultimately, it’s difficult at this point to determine which team sold high in this deal. The Pirates traded a potentially good prospect, but they also got a potentially good addition to their lineup. Only time will tell whether Pittsburgh or Toronto comes out on top in this trade.

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