If we're multiple pieces away, adding Soto for 2.5 years would certainly be one of the biggest steps we could take to not being multiple pieces away. Our lineup doesn't have too many black holes in it to begin with at this point, so getting a player that is significantly better than anything we have on the roster probably moves the needle further than adding 2-3 small possible improvements elsewhere.
Just to put things in perspective, here's Soto's numbers the past three years compared to what we have available currently...
2020-22 vs. RHP:
2020-22 vs. LHP:
And the key here is that this isn't a guy you're getting for two months, it's possibly three playoff pushes. With our current pitching, if there's any possibility of getting him, you gotta look into it.
For this year, if you pair that with something like a Josh Bell (120 wRC+ vs. RHP '20-22, 117 wRC+ vs LHP '20-22), I think you are all of a sudden looking at a team that is definitely a contender to go deep in the playoffs. It would cost a HAUL, but I think Soto is a guy you do that for.