With the Yankees looking to potentially add an infielder, they could explore the free-agent market for a proper veteran upgrade. Ha-Seong Kim opted out of the final season of a four-year $28 million contract he signed with the San Diego Padres, and the 29-year-old has proven to be a solid bat with excellent baserunning value and an elite glove. He’s a premium defender at shortstop, third base, and second base with the ability to provide patient at-bats to round out the bottom of a lineup.
A strong all-around player who could sign a lower AAV deal, he could be a perfect compliment to the Yankees’ offseason even if they land star outfielder Juan Soto.
Ha-Seong Kim Is the Perfect Remedy For the Yankees’ Infield
The Yankees would love to add the defense and baserunning that Ha-Seong Kim could bring to the table as one of the best at accumulating value on that side of the ball. Across 4,147 innings on the field, the Korean-born infielder has 48 Defensive Runs Saved with +22 Outs Above Average across SS, 2B, and 3B in his Major League career. Combine that with 60 total steals over the last two seasons, and you have the kind of player that improves some of the team’s weaknesses.
At second base the team did not get excellent defensive production from Gleyber Torres, who was also one of the worst baserunners in the league last year. He was dead last among primary 2B in BsR (-4.6) while having the second-worst DRS (-11), and Ha-Seong Kim provides elite defense and an aggressive base-stealer with speed. It’s a departure from what the Yankees failed to do last season, as they were last in BsR and Baserunning Run Value as a team.
What’s made Ha-Seong Kim extremely valuable is that on top of his excellent defense and baserunning, he’s been an above-average hitter in each of the last three seasons with solid underlying metrics. With decent power and elite plate control, he’s posted a 106 wRC+ and 10.5 fWAR in 423 games across the last three seasons. Comparing his bat to what the Yankees got with Gleyber Torres last season (104 wRC+), the bat is pretty similar.
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Steamer projections would agree; Gleyber Torres is a better hitter but the gap in production with the bat wouldn’t be massive. When you factor in baserunning value, it’s completely possible that Ha-Seong Kim ends up with more Offensive Runs than Gleyber Torres in 2025. Kim had more Offensive Runs this season despite playing just 121 games, and over the last three seasons trails Torres by just 0.4 Runs despite playing in 30 fewer games over that stretch.
A potential leadoff candidate if he plays to his projections, the patient infielder has the kind of approach that could bode well in front of Soto and Judge as he would be able to force pitchers into throwing strikes. He’s one of just 13 qualified hitters over the last two seasons with a walk rate of at least 12%. The Yankees can check off the leadoff spot, second base, and also add a ton of baserunning value with him on the roster, potentially giving them their best base-stealing team in a decade.
Jazz Chisholm (33), Anthony Volpe (28), Ha-Seong Kim (24), and Jasson Dominguez (20) are projected to combine for 105 stolen bases, which would be the highest total for a Yankees team since they swiped 112 bases in 2014. Having even more speed depth while adding a bat capable of replacing 2024 Gleyber Torres and improve on the defense is the definition of a win for the Yankees if they’re able to pull it off.
Hal Steinbrenner reportedly ensured Juan Soto in their meeting that upgrades would be made to the roster; it would be easy to see how Ha-Seong Kim, his teammate for two seasons, would help them deliver on that promise.
The Yankees could have some stiff competition especially since Kim could be a lower-cost shortstop option for plenty of contenders. Perhaps the Yankees are able to move someone to try and keep their overall payroll down, such as attaching prospects to move Marcus Stroman’s $18 million payroll hit or move Nestor Cortes and his projected arbitration money (~$7 million) to get a bat in return.
It may limit what they can do at first base, but they certainly can float someone like Cortes as a piece who can net a Major League bat. Furthermore, Spencer Jones might be made more expendable if the team is able to re-sign Juan Soto, who would lock down an outfield spot for at least the next decade. The Yankees have other ways to acquire a first baseman, and there’s always the hope that data-darling Ben Rice lives up to his 114 wRC+ and 17 HR projection for the 2025 season.
Ha-Seong Kim rounds out the Yankees’ infield in a way that allows them to address the baserunning woes and ensure that their defense is even better in 2025.