Potential Yankees free agent target fills one need, but still leaves a void

As currently constructed, the New York Yankees' lineup is — WARNING: Expert Opinion Coming — extremely weird.

The upside is clear. The potential for consistency one-through-nine, after fans were forced to endure well below-average bats in key spots last year, seems realistic. There could be 20-homer bats up and down the order. There could also be, in a worst-case scenario, options that miss the mark at first, center, left, and up the middle. That's a dreadful worst-case scenario -- though, to be fair, it's what the Yankees endured last summer, as Juan Soto acted as an emergency surgeon in times of need, patching up wounds with patience.

At the very least, the Yankees have raised their floor. Paul Goldschmidt's below-the-hood numbers have him looking poised for a bounce back. If he struggles, he'll likely do so while whopping 20 or so homers. That's valuable. Cody Bellinger's swing is perfectly tailored for Yankee Stadium; even if he responds to the pressure by missing more often, he should run into a few extra longballs. That's good, too.

And that means that while the ideal candidate to fill their final infield role is both a vast improvement on Gleyber Torres' sketchy defense and can hold their own offensively (~110 OPS+ instead of vacillating between 90 and 120 like Torres), the Yankees may have to settle for one of the two. They waited patiently and struck on Goldschmidt amid a run on first basemen. They proactively targeted Bellinger, and hammered things out for weeks before finally settling. Now, with an infield hole remaining -- which, yes, they created by dealing Caleb Durbin -- the Yankees, who have no interest in surrendering more draft picks to sign Alex Bregman, will need to either cave to the pressure and deal for Nolan Arenado, or sign Ha-Seong Kim, recently of the San Diego Padres.

Kim's versatility and potentially elite defense/base running would be a welcome change of pace in the Bronx. His offensive floor, however, is worrisomely low, especially if his shoulder doesn't bounce back from the surgery that ended his 2024 season early, and should keep him out through April. It would be fantastic if the Yankees could target a bopper in his place instead of Detroit's stated Plan C. Unfortunately, that option may no longer exist, especially not within their price parameters.

Yankees target Ha-Seong Kim would be a great versatility add, but the bat is lacking

Now, this is not to say the Yankees should not target Kim. They haven't been in a position to let perfect be the enemy of very good since Soto left, and they've done a great job backfilling as best they can (though Soto, obviously, would've made this roster stronger than the melange they landed on). Kim would be a competent second-or-third-baseman, though the injury uncertainty at the outset of the season doesn't feel fantastic. If he ends up being more of a utility fit than an entrenched starter, there's always the trade deadline.

Still, Kim's value comes from his glove and ability to float across the diamond -- and yes, there's a lot of it. He finished 14th in the NL MVP race in 2023, a lost season in San Diego where the Padres' clubhouse was poisoned by ... any number of people, but probably Juan Soto. His bat, always competent, dipped below that level in 2024, with a 96 OPS+ following seasons of 107 and 105.

There's a bargain to be had with Kim, especially considering his health woes, but as the veritable "last man standing" and Plan C of a dozen organizations, there might end up being a bidding war for a player who lacks the thump the Yankees lost with Torres. Will Kim win the Yankees more games with his glove and legs than Torres did with his bat (while also taking away victories with his unsteady hands)? It's an uncomfortable bet for a team that lost a 40-homer bopper and is trying to replace him in the aggregate, but it's one they may have to make.