Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Called 'Best Fit' For High IQ Infielder

One NL infielder seems to be the perfect free agency fit for the New York Yankees.
Grant Young|
Jul 14, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (7) forces out Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) at second base during the sixth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images
Jul 14, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (7) forces out Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) at second base during the sixth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

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New York YankeesSan Diego Padres

The New York Yankees' search for someone to fill their current infield void is still ongoing.

While they have been linked to several free agent infielders over the past few weeks, it doesn't appear that they're particularly close to striking a deal with any of them (although that could change very fast).

One infielder that many within the industry seem to think is a good fit for New York is former San Diego Padres versatile infielder Ha-Seong Kim. The most recent person to assert this is MLB on FOX writer Deesha Thosar, who called the Yankees Kim's 'best fit' in free agency in a January 16 article.

"Despite the flurry of needle-moving additions the Yankees made after they lost Juan Soto to the Mets, they still have a major hole in the infield following the departure of longtime second baseman Gleyber Torres," Thosar wrote.

"The Bronx Bombers need more guys who can get on base and create runs, and that's where Kim can come in and put his savvy baserunning to use. Plus, his excellent plate discipline (18.6% chase rate in the 98th percentile, per Baseball Savant) will do wonders if he's batting alongside Aaron Judge.

"Kim's high baseball IQ and defensive versatility and prowess would be a breath of fresh air for a Yankees team that ranked 30th in FanGraphs' baserunning metrics in 2024 and routinely suffered from defensive miscues, poor fundamentals, and mental lapses in the infield (see: the World Series)," Thosar continued.

"The Yankees don't need more flashy free-agent signings now; they need a dynamic jack-of-all-trades Gold Glover like Kim who can quietly transform their offensive production."

Kim's versatility on offense and defensive excellence could be an ideal solution for what the Yankees lacked in 2024 and are eager to improve in 2025.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for On SI. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee. You can follow him on X: @GrvntYoung

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