UPDATE: Suzyn's shortstop pick is off the board, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa being traded to the Twins for Mitch Garver, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Andrelton Simmons is off the board, removing a potential shortstop target for the Yankees, and the one Suzyn Waldman believed would wind up in the Bronx.
“I thought the guy who just got signed by the Cubs, I thought he was gonna be our shortstop,” Waldman, the longtime Yankees radio analyst told Keith McPherson on Friday night.
Of course, there are still plenty of other options left after the defensive-minded Simmons, including Carlos Correa and Trevor Story, the two biggest shortstops left on the board. But with Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza waiting in the minor leagues, Waldman doesn’t see the Bombers splurging on a shortstop before Opening Day.
“If you look around…I had never thought the Yankees were gonna spend a fortune on a shortstop, because their prized prospect is a shortstop,” Waldman said before stressing that the Yanks badly need to upgrade at the position. “This is something that is not a joke. If you look around the American League East, Wander Franco is in Tampa. Bo Bichette is in Toronto. Xander Bogaerts is in Boston…they need a shortstop. If they’ve decided they’re gonna wait for Anthony Volpe…then get a Freddy Galvis or trade for a Isiah Kiner-Falefa.”
Kiner-Falefa is suddenly a potential trade chip for the Rangers after they made a pair of big middle-infield splashes before the lockout, signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. While Kiner-Falefa has said he would be happy to be the starting third baseman, Texas could look to move him, and Waldman believes the Yankees should be ready to pounce. The versatile defender posted a 10 DRS at shortstop in 156 games last season, and batted .271 with eight home runs and a .670 OPS.
“Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the kind of guy…that the Yankees love,” Waldman said. “There isn’t anything he can’t do. He made himself into a Gold Glover at a position he never played before. He was a catcher when they signed him…he is great at everything he does. That is the kind of player the Yankees love.”
Keith, who is a Kiner-Falefa fan himself, mentioned Story as a possible addition, but Waldman cautioned that with Volpe on the way, Kiner-Falefa would be the better move in the short term.
“If you sign Trevor Story, what do you do with Anthony Volpe?” Waldman asked. “How many years are you gonna give him to develop? I bet he’s gonna be here next year.”
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