Oswald Peraza told reporters this week that his goal is to win the competition for the Yankees’ starting shortstop job.
If the hyped Yankee prospect accomplishes that goal, what would become of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, last year’s starter and the likely main competition for Peraza this spring?
Asked about that hypothetical on Thursday, manager Aaron Boone told reporters, via The Athletic's Chris Kirschner, that Kiner-Falefa could become a hybrid for the Yanks, even including time in the outfield.
Kiner-Falefa, a natural third baseman, was praised for his defense at shortstop when traded to the Yanks last offseason, but his production in the field in 2022 didn’t match that hype, while his bat was underwhelming, as advertised. He lost playoff playing time to Peraza last season, and should he lose his starting job, he could be bounced around the diamond in a depth role, similar to how Marwin Gonzalez was used last season.
Kiner-Falefa has never played the outfield during his big-league career, but has played shortstop, third base, second base, and catcher. He did play a total of 10 games in the outfield during his time in the minors, but hasn’t been outside of the infield since 2017.
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