New York Yankees Will Regret Not Pursuing Gold Glove Infielder in Free Agency

The New York Yankees have made some nice moves this offseason and the team is certainly in a fairly solid position even after losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets.

Additions like Max Fried, Cody Bellinger, Devin Williams, and Paul Goldschmidt potentially put the Yankees in an even better position and a more complete roster than they were entering the World Series.

Looking at the lineup however, most would agree there's something missing, be it one more trade or free agency acquisition.

The current roster prospects for the third base position make the hot corner look like even more of a black hole than first base was this past season, yet New York has not made a move to address it. Even with someone like Alex Bregman - one of the best in all of baseball - on the market, the Yankees have seemingly taken a pass and appear content to move forward with what they have.

For better or worse, the affordable veteran route is the way the Yankees have chosen to build the roster. You can agree or disagree with whether that's the right approach, but it's how things are going.

Even though they are determined not to go the big money route, there was a player out there for New York who the team was loosely connected to before he wound up signing elsewhere, and the Yankees are going to regret not making a bigger push.

Former San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim - who wound up within the division signing a two-year, $29 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays - was a potentially perfect solution for New York's third base woes.

Obviously shortstop was not a need given the ascension and potential next step this year for Anthony Volpe, but Kim is much more than just a shortstop. In fact, his 2023 Gold Glove was awarded from the utility position, spending a significant portion of time both at second and third base as well.

Kim is an elite defender no matter where he's placed on the diamond, though his defense is so strong that his borderline elite bat gets overshadowed.

He isn't going to blow you away with power by any means, yet Kim has enough pop to be a 15+ home run hitter on a yearly basis. It's the plate discipline where the 29-year-old really stands out.

As one of the best in the league in terms of when to take pitches, Kim ranks within the high 90s for percentile of chase rate, walk rate and whiff rate. Add in his solid strikeout rate as well and you have a steady, controlled presence in the lineup who we already know will flash the leather on defense.

Kim would have been the perfect chess piece to add into the Yankees infield, but instead he winds up with a division rival on a contract which New York will be kicking themselves for not offering once the see firsthand the kind of value he brings.

Other moves could still be made, but the Yankees certainly missed out on one here.

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