The New York Yankees made some key additions at both first base and the outfield, but they still have a big hole on the left-hand side of the diamond. Currently, third base will be filled by their in-house options such as D.J. LeMahieu and Oswaldo Cabrera. To get back to the World Series in 2025, they will need to upgrade that position.
The Yankees could bring in two elite infielders
MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reported on Monday that bringing in 10x Gold Glove Award winner Nolan Arenado in a trade cannot be ruled out, as he expects the Yankees to re-engage with the St. Louis Cardinals at some point. Additionally, the Yankees have had their eyes set on free agent utility infielder Ha-Seong Kim, another play who can help improve the makeup of the infield.
If the Yankees were to trade for Arenado and sign Kim, they would have a tremendously elite defensive group in the infield. Arenado has been long established as one of the best defensive third basemen in the history of the sport, while Kim is one of the more sought-after utility players thanks to his defense in multiple positions.
Arenado is not the same player he once was, as he is coming off a down year offensively in which he hit just 16 home runs with a 102 wRC+. The 33-year-old also still has three years and $74 million left on his current deal, so whoever trades for him will have to run the risk of carrying a bad contract into his declining years.
Arenado and Kim could both be impactful additions for the Yankees
However, for the Yankees he would undoubtedly be an upgrade over their internal options. He also would give them an elite defender on the left side of the infield, something they desperately need after a poor defensive showing from their infielders last season. Of course, working out a trade will come with a big caveat, as Arenado has a full no-trade clause that he would need to waive for a trade to go through.
Kim won three Gold Gloves while playing in the KBO from 2018-20. He then won the Gold Glove Award for the utility position in the National League while with the Padres in 2023, a season in which he also hit 17 home runs and slashed .260/.351/.398. He is not particularly known for his offense, but he has shown the capability to be a serviceable depth bat in a good lineup.
The main stipulation is that Kim will be coming off of shoulder surgery he underwent just before the 2024 playoffs. As a result, he is expected to miss at least the first few weeks of the regular season, and there is a great risk of him not playing up to form coming off a significant injury.
Therefore, if the Yankees added Kim, it would likely be a short-term deal that adds some insurance in what would become a crowded infield room. Nevertheless, he and Arenado could be impactful additions if the Yankees choose to pursue either one of them.
