Aaron Boone, the manager of the New York Yankees, has opted not to engage in a war of words with Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The Yankees’ skipper expressed mild surprise over Kiner-Falefa’s recent comments suggesting the Toronto Blue Jays preferred facing the Yankees in the American League Division Series over the Boston Red Sox.
Despite the unexpected nature of the remark, Boone remains unfazed. “I guess he was right,” Boone remarked. “It’s a bit surprising to hear IKF make that statement, but it’s not a big deal.”
The Yankees had previously bested the Red Sox in a three-game showdown during last year’s Wild Card round, which propelled them into the ALDS. However, their journey was cut short when Toronto vanquished them in four games on their way to clinching the American League pennant.
Kiner-Falefa, who was part of the Blue Jays’ roster last season, has since moved on, signing a one-year deal with the Red Sox.
The Yankees beat the Red Sox in three games in last year’s Wild Card round to advance to the ALDS. Toronto then defeated the Yankees in four games en route to the American League pennant.
Kiner-Falefa was part of last year’s Blue Jays team but has since signed a one-year contract with the Red Sox.
“We definitely felt like (Boston) was a tougher matchup for us,” Kiner-Falefa said this week, specifically pointing to Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet as a factor. “So, once we saw the (Yankees), we were a lot happier. It was definitely a topic.”
Kiner-Falefa spent two years with the Yankees from 2022-23, serving as their primary shortstop in the first of those seasons before transitioning to a utility role in the second.
He is the latest Red Sox player to take a dig at the AL East-rival Yankees in recent months.
In June, rookie right-hander Hunter Dobbins told The Boston Herald he would “retire” before he played for the Yankees. Dobbins said in that interview that his father, a diehard Red Sox fan, was drafted twice by the Yankees — a claim that was later refuted.
Dobbins has since been traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.
And in December, veteran right-hander Sonny Gray said the Yankees were part of why he embraced a trade to the Red Sox this offseason.
“It feels good to me to go to a place now where, you know what, it’s easy to hate the Yankees, right?” said Gray, whom Boston acquired in a separate deal with the Cardinals.
“It’s easy to go out and have that rivalry and go into it with full force, full steam ahead. I like the challenge.”
Gray spent parts of two seasons with the Yankees from 2017-18, going 15-16 with a 4.51 ERA.
“I never wanted to go there in the first place,” Gray said — a claim Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has since refuted.
All of the chatter caught the attention of former Yankees reliever Dellin Betances, who is now a studio analyst for YES Network.
“Boston players want the smoke early,” Betances wrote on social media. “Should be a fun season.”
