3 last-minute moves the Yankees can make to plug holes on their roster

Juan Soto's decision to leave the Yankees in free agency sent the fan base into a brief tailspin but it did not change next season's goals for GM Brian Cashman and the organization. Soto may be a Met, but the expectation for the Yankees is to end their World Series drought in 2025.

To Cashman's credit, he pivoted quickly and decisively to other targets after Soto's decision. The team quickly inked Max Fried to a monster contract to fortify their pitching staff. A trade with the Brewers brought in Devin Williams to give manager Aaron Boone a dominant bullpen arm to close games. Veterans Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt were brought in to add depth to the team's batting order.

There's still work to be done if the Yankees are going to have what it takes to win the American League and go one step further in October. Here are three moves that Cashman and company still should have on their to-do list.

1. Sign Andrew Chafin in free agency

The Williams trade will permit the Yankees to move Luke Weaver into a more versatile role to help boost their late-inning options. The team still needs a lefty with swing-and-miss stuff to matchup with quality left-handed hitters in high leverage situations.

Tanner Scott would have been the ideal signing for Boone and his coaching staff but the Dodgers' offer far exceeded what New York was willing to pay. That means the club should pivot to Andrew Chafin as the runner-up in their left-handed reliever sweepstakes.

The former Rangers star appeared in 62 games last season and struck out 70 batters in just 56.1 innings. He may have lost a tick or two on his fastball in recent years but he's still exceedingly tough on quality left-handed hitters.

There's a chance Chafin can be landed on a one or two-year deal with a moderate salary based on his age. Every day that passes should see his asking price decline. The Yankees can't wait too long to bounce on the potential bargain southpaw.

2. Trade Marcus Stroman

The Yankees want to trade Marcus Stroman but it's not the straightforward move that many fans expect it to be for the team's front office. He still has value as an eatings inner but that doesn't marry up with his current salary. New York would like to deal him for positive value but there's a decent chance they will need to attach an asset to his contract if they want to move him before Opening Day.

Discretion is the better part of valor for Cashman when it comes to the veteran right-hander. The best strategy for the Yankees will be to carry Stroman into Spring Training and wait until another team suffers an injury to a starter of their own. That desperation should help the Yankees extract a reasonable offer for a player who still has moderate upside.

Nothing the team gets in exchange from Stroman is going to be transformational under any circumstances. Any sort of decent prospect would represent decent business for the Yankees. An average bench piece to give Boone depth during the regular-season could also be a valuable return for a pitcher who isn't in the Yankees' plan.

Stroman isn't nearly as much of a distressed asset as he seems to be at the moment. It's even conceivable that the Yankees might bring him into the regular season to give him a chance to rehabilitate his trade value. They would love to clarify his status sooner rather than later, but rushing to make a trade could scupper their plans to get a quality return.

3. Sign Ha-Seong Kim

The downside to signing Ha-Seong Kim is that he almost certainly won't be ready to play on Opening Day due to injury. The Yankees are a team that can afford to wait on him to be an impact player whenever he's ready to take the field.

Kim isn't a power hitter that will make fans forget about Soto but he can be an ideal leadoff hitter to set the table for Aaron Judge and company via the leadoff spot in the order. He also possesses the speed required to threaten opponents on the basepaths.

Defensively, Kim could slot in at either second or third-base for the Yankees depending on what they view to be Jazz Chisholm's ideal position. He would be a major upgrade over Gleyber Torres at second if Boone decided to deploy him there.

Kim's injury status should depress his market which could see him landing inside the Yankees' price range. This is the kind of financial move New York should make to flex some fiscal muscle. The Yankees aren't in the Dodgers stratosphere when it comes to salary structure but they still have an advantage over the vast majority of baseball. Signing Kim would be a shrewd gamble by the franchise.