Ha-Seong Kim becomes key player in crucial Braves offseason
Ha-Seong Kim’s Braves audition might earn him a nice payday — whether it’s here or elsewhere.
It turns out the Rays’ decision to put Kim on waivers, and the Braves subsequent decision to claim him, has worked out for everybody involved.
Kim, who turns 30 next month, had been a highly productive player but endured a difficult 2025 season because of multiple injuries. The Rays signed him to the largest free-agent contract in their history — two years, $29 million with the second season being a $16 million player option — while he was recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. He required multiple stints on the injured list since returning in July, suffering a right-calf strain shortly after coming back, then twice going on the IL because of back issues.
The Rays had fielded interest in Kim at the trade deadline but retained him. Ultimately, given their position in the postseason hunt, shortstop prospect Carson Williams’ presence and a perpetual openness to cutting payroll, they placed Kim on waivers. It also helped them elude his player option, avoiding that $16 million decision.
The Braves, who expressed interest in Kim at the deadline, saw an opportunity for a trial run. Shortstop is their No. 1 need this winter after Orlando Arcia flamed out and Nick Allen proved too inadequate at the plate. There are limited external options at the position, so Kim was worth a look.
“We looked at potential free agents at the deadline that we thought we might have interest in signing,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said. “Kim could be a potential free agent, but we have potential interest in him to keep him beyond ’25. So there’s value in having him in our clubhouse.”
The Braves’ thought perhaps was that a change of scenery would help, too. It has: Kim is healthy and thriving, hitting .327/.390/.404 in 15 games with the Braves. That’s a drastic turnaround from his Rays tenure, in which he hit .214/.290/.321 across 24 games.
Most important, Kim seems distanced from the ailments that derailed his campaign. He looks like the player he was in San Diego, where he accrued 15.1 bWAR from 2021-24.
“Great player all around,” Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies said. “Even when we play against him, he’s always giving what he can. We talk a bit every day, and he’s a great player all around.”
So is Albies doing any recruiting to help sway Kim’s decision? “I don’t talk about those (contract) things, but he’s a great piece for the team,” he said, smiling.
A month ago, it seemed obvious that Kim would take his player option. While not certain, it seems likelier now that Kim could decline and hit free agency. This is a weak free-agent market, particularly at shortstop, so that factor leans heavily into his advantage. And his terrific finish makes it easier to chalk up the rest of his season to injuries.
Kim is represented by Scott Boras, who’s known for preferring his clients test their value as free agents. Some have suggested the Braves try to reach a new deal with Kim before free agency comes into play, but that would buck Boras’ traditional approach. And in a market with few alternatives, it would make little financial sense for Kim to pass on the open market, no matter how much he might love Atlanta.
The Braves might have to bid against other teams to retain Kim. The hope, then, is that his brief time here effectively works as a successful recruiting trip.
Outfielder Jurickson Profar, who played with Kim in San Diego, called him a “brother” and has gushed about their friendship. Profar added that Kim said he’s felt more comfortable in the Braves’ clubhouse than how he felt with the Rays because “it’s a different group here, everybody really cares for each other.”
All that is nice, but money matters most. This would be Kim’s first time on the free-agent market healthy. He could be the best shortstop available, depending on how a team views Toronto’s Bo Bichette, who is a negative-value defender. Contention-hopeful clubs will be limited in their shortstop options. Rest assured Boras, known for his salesmanship, would assemble quite a compelling pitch for Kim to inquiring clubs.
If Kim declines the $16 million option, the assumption would be that he believes he could command a multiyear contract at around at least the same annual number. The Braves should have room for such a commitment. They’ll also hope familiarity looms important.
Asked last week about his confidence in retaining Kim, Anthopoulos, who hasn’t negotiated a player option with the Braves as part of the team’s policy, shared the following:
“I want to be fair to him and the process; that’s a contract he negotiated with Tampa, he earned the right to have that opt out. Hard to say (my confidence level), but I guess I’d tell you this: In our view, this is a player that’s been a productive player who’s rehabbed, come off surgery, had multiple IL stints for his back. He’s had a lost season. He’s obviously been a better player than this.
“But getting him in our clubhouse, him getting to know us and us getting to know him, whether he doesn’t opt out or does, we’re both in a better position. We know more about each other. Had he been in Tampa and opted out, now we’re coming to the table to talk to him, I can’t tell you we separate ourselves from any other team he hasn’t played for.
“I always believe comfort, familiarity can only help, especially having been here and lived here and having multiple players tell me how much they love playing here. I feel this is an asset. Truist (Park) is an asset. The fan base is an asset. Our clubhouse culture is an asset. Our manager, our coaches, our ownership group is an asset.
“I think whether that’s two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, whatever exposure they get to that, maybe it can break a tie. There are no guarantees there. … My hope is he enjoys it here, he thinks this is a place he can perform and that we have him beyond ’25.”
The Braves begin their final homestand Sept. 22 and will conclude the season Sept. 28. This marks their first losing campaign since 2017.
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
