Former Giants Top Trade Target Is Now Available Via Waivers

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Isiah Kiner-Falefa rounds third base to score at Oracle Park on July 30, 2025.

On Friday August 29, 2025 the Pittsburgh Pirates placed Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a player the San Francisco Giants were interested in acquiring at the 2025 MLB trade deadline, on outright waivers.

This means that Kiner-Falefa, 30, is now available for any team to submit a waiver claim for. The Giants would not have to give anything up in return for acquiring him.

Kiner-Falefa is an above average defender who can play any infield or outfield position on the diamond. He previously won a Gold Glove at third base for the Texas Rangers in 2020.

He’s also a career .263 hitter. He doesn’t hit for much power, but his 1.7 bWAR is second on the Pirates this season behind Tommy Pham. All around, he is a decently valuable position player.

Does A Move For Kiner-Falefa Still Make Sense for San Francisco?

The Giants were definitely interested in Isiah Kiner-Falefa at the 2025 MLB trade deadline, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette reported.

But the Giants’ season was in a much different state then.

Before the deadline, San Francisco was in position to compete for a playoff run. Now, they may still believe they can make a playoff run, but they are definitely a long shot.

They also were in dire need of a starting second baseman. Incumbent starter Tyler Fitzgerald was struggling big time.

But now, Casey Schmitt has emerged as the Giants’ starting second baseman of the future. His defense has profiled well at second base, and he is hitting a solid .240 on the season with nine home runs.

Schmitt has more power, youth, and overall potential than Kiner-Falefa. So San Francisco wouldn’t likely want to slot IKF in as their starting second baseman now.

Plus, the Giants have two everyday players on the right side of the infield in Matt Chapman and Willy Adames. Rafael Devers is doing a solid job manning first base, and the Giants have solid infield depth in Wilmer Flores, Christian Koss and Dominic Smith.

So the move makes much less sense for the Giants now than it did at the deadline. But you never know. Smith was a midseason veteran free agent pickup and he has been one of the biggest bright spots for the Giants this season.

Kiner-Falefa could fulfill a similar role for the Giants. His proven track record of reliably being above-average could entice the front office to make a move for him.

History Of Clutch Waiver Claims For The Giants

The Giants do have a history of under-the-radar pickups at or around the MLB trade deadline that have gone on to help them big down the stretch.

The most famous of these is former Giants outfielder Cody Ross.

The Giants claimed Ross off waivers from the former Florida and now Miami Marlins in the midst of their improbable run to the playoffs in 2010.

Ross hit .288 in 33 games down the stretch for the Giants, then became an improbable playoff hero. He won NLCS MVP for San Francisco after hitting .350 against the Philadelphia Phillies with 3 home runs and 5 RBI, including a two-homer game against ace Roy Halladay.

Ross was superb all postseason, hitting .294 with 5 home runs and 10 RBI. He was one of the most instrumental players to San Francisco’s 2010 World Series win.

Ross spent one more season with the Giants in 2011, hitting .240 with 14 home runs and 52 RBI.

So, three-time World Series champion and now President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey is very familiar with just how important waiver wire transactions can be to a team.

What do you think, Giants fans? Should San Francisco try to claim Isiah Kiner-Falefa off waivers?

Ethan Inman is a sports journalist covering the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and Las Vegas Raiders for heavy.com. He also co-hosts a college football podcast for The Voice of College Football, and writes about the NBA and MLB. He has previously covered the USC Trojans, the NHL, college baseball, and the intersection of sports and popular culture for other publications. He is based in the greater Los Angeles area. More about Ethan Inman