The Braves have their shortstop, re-signing veteran Ha-Seong Kim to a one-year, $20 million deal. It continues an aggressive offseason in which the team has tackled nearly all its glaring needs.
Kim, 30, joined the Braves via waiver claim in September. The team wanted to see how he fit ahead of his potential free agency this winter. He hit .253/.316/.368 while playing solid defense in 24 games. Notably, he proved an ideal clubhouse fit.
“Obviously I’m biased, but I do think this is a great spot for him,” president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said.
It was a strong ending to an otherwise lost season for Kim, who endured multiple stints on the injured list with the Rays. He had a late start to the year after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, then suffered a calf strain upon his return. He was twice sidelined due to back injuries.
Kim was worth 15.1 bWAR from 2021-24 with the Padres. He has a track record suggesting that last season was a blip on the radar due to injuries. Anthopoulos loosely compared Kim’s situation with his signing of former MVP Josh Donaldson in 2019. The Braves had inked Donaldson on a one-year deal after his value was damaged by injuries.
“I think we’ve got a very good chance to get the guy he was those years in San Diego,” Anthopoulos said of Kim. “That could be a 3-to-4 WAR player.”
He proved he was healthy in Atlanta, which led to the easy decision for him and agent Scott Boras to decline his $16 million player option.
Kim was perhaps the best pure shortstop on the market. Bo Bichette, the consensus top free-agent shortstop, might eventually need to move off the position due to defensive limitations. Kim was also more likely to come at a lower price.
Indeed, Kim reportedly secured a $4 million raise in opting out, though he didn’t get the long-term security Boras clients have often received after opting out. However, Kim will have the chance to play a full season healthy in what he expects to be a winning situation, which could position him for a sizable contract next year.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Kim received multi-year offers but chose the Braves’ one-year proposal. Anthopoulos didn’t comment on other clubs’ offers, but he noted a similar situation unfolded when designated hitter Marcell Ozuna declined multi-year offers in favor of a short-term agreement with the Braves. He parlayed that into a four-year deal to stay the next year.
“I do believe that this is a really good fit for him - the lineup, the consistency, the ballpark, how he fit in the clubhouse - I’m hopeful and I’m optimistic, we all are, that he’s going to play really well,” Anthopoulos said.
This is a boon for the Braves, whose overall position-player group benefits from Kim’s return.
Utilityman Mauricio Dubon, who would’ve started if Kim departed, now becomes a valuable depth piece. The Braves also signed outfielder Mike Yastrzemski last week, another boost to their offense and optionality. Yastrzemski enables the team to more easily use a starting outfielder as a designated hitter to give that player’s legs a rest.
Kim is the latest acquisition in a busy offseason for president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos. He also re-signed closer Raisel Iglesias and added All-Star reliever Robert Suarez.
After the Braves did little last winter – and received ample criticism after missing the postseason for the first time since 2017 – they’ve moved aggressively to improve. And they’ve done so by spending rather than moving their prospects during a period in which they’re replenishing their farm system.
Shortstop was the team’s worst position last season. Orlando Arcia was discarded midseason. Nick Allen was a superb defender, but the team couldn’t afford his poor offense. That led to the Kim waiver claim with 2026 in mind. For almost the entirety of last season, the look-ahead conversation centered on the Braves needing to add a shortstop moving forward.
The Braves have now addressed all their needs except the rotation. And two of their signings – Iglesias and Kim – are just one-year commitments, keeping their flexibility for next winter.
With their lineup complete, the focus will shift to starting pitching. The Braves have received encouraging health reports on their previously injured starters – namely Grant Holmes and Reynaldo Lopez – which could affect their urgency in that marketplace.
Still, the industry had pinpointed the Braves as a prominent player in the pitching market. The Suarez signing proved that was the case. The team was also reportedly linked to All-Star closer Edwin Diaz before he joined the Dodgers.
It remains to be seen what level of starter the Braves will add, but the expectation remains they’ll try to bolster their rotation. They’d also benefit from more relief help, though after committing to Iglesias and Suarez, any further spending there should be modest.
Overall, the Braves’ roster appears much improved compared to the 2025 iteration.
Elsewhere in the National League East, the Mets have lost Diaz and slugger Pete Alonso while swapping outfielder Brandon Nimmo for defensive-oriented second baseman Marcus Semien. Their on-paper roster looks weaker now than it did at the season’s conclusion, though there’s a lot of offseason remaining.
The Phillies re-signed key lineup piece Kyle Schwarber while also adding slugging outfielder Adolis Garcia this week. They have more moves to make, including potentially re-signing catcher J.T. Realmuto, but the two-time reigning division champs will enter spring training as the team to beat.
The Braves are shaping up as worthy competition again if they enjoy better health fortune than they’ve had the past two years. They’ll be a popular pick to return to the postseason.
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