It was not so long ago that Gleyber Torres was considered to be a pillar of the Yankees’ young core for years to come. Unfortunately for both he and the team, his defensive limitations and recent offensive regression caused New York to sour on his abilities. Now he’s headed for free agency, and GM Brian Cashman’s recent comments suggest that he’s shopping for an upgrade at second base.

Cashman can go any number of directions to replace Torres. He could slide Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second and sign, say, Alex Bregman at third. He could look internally at prospects like Caleb Durbin or Oswald Peraza. Or he could take his pick of a number of second basemen available in free agency. One ideal free-agent fit, however, might have plenty of competition for his services.

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At first glance, former Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim seems like an ideal Torres replacement for the Bronx Bombers. The team understands it needs to get better defensively up the middle. Even at his best, Torres was never anything more than a below-average defender. Kim’s glove would help the Yankees’ pitching staff generate more outs if he were to make the transition from shortstop to second base.

The challenge facing Cashman and his front office is that multiple other teams have zeroed in on Kim to fill their starting shortstop vacancies. The Giants have a massive hole at the position and would seem like an ideal landing spot for the Korean infielder. Moving to the Bay would allow Kim to play alongside his national teammate Jung Hoo Lee. The Yankees cannot match that kind of emotional tie, but could conceivably outbid the Giants for Kim’s services.

Cashman has already name-dropped several internal options to fill Torres’ spot in manager Aaron Boone’s lineup. Durbin is one young option the Yankees could turn to, although another season in the Minors would likely be better for his long-term development. Moving Chisholm back to the position he played previously is also a possibility, but that would create a hole at third base for New York to fill.

In the end, the Yankees’ interest in Kim will likely hinge on whether or not the team is able to secure Juan Soto to a lucrative long-term contract extension. If New York meets Soto’s astronomical asking price in free agency they will need to save money elsewhere on the roster. Second base could be a spot where Cashman and his front office try to fill with a low-cost player like Durbin to help balance out their payroll.

There is no debate the Kim would give the Yankees a much-needed boost in two of the areas they really struggled with last year. His Gold Glove-caliber defense at second base would be a massive upgrade on Torres. His savvy baserunning might be a more subtle way that he could improve New York’s roster. Expect the Yankees to stay connected to Kim right up until the moment he signs elsewhere.