Middle infielder Ha-Seong Kim is opting out of his deal with the Braves, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. He passes on a $16MM salary to return to the open market.
It’s a disappointing but not entirely unexpected development for Atlanta. The Braves claimed Kim off waivers from the Rays at the beginning of September. They weren’t competing but hoped to lock in their starting shortstop for the ’26 season. They instead wound up taking on the remaining $2MM of Kim’s 2025 salary for the final month of a lost season.
Maybe that’ll still turn out to be a worthwhile decision. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said in September he hoped that getting Kim acclimated with the Atlanta organization and clubhouse would give them a leg up even if the infielder decided to head back to free agency. They’ll certainly make an effort to bring him back, but Nick Allen is atop the depth chart at shortstop for the time being.
For the second straight winter, Kim hits free agency with significant questions. He had an outside shot at a nine-figure deal over the 2024-25 offseason until he suffered a labrum tear in his right shoulder in August. Kim required season-ending surgery, leading the Padres to decline to issue him a qualifying offer. He signed a two-year deal with the Rays that guaranteed $29MM and allowed him to retest the market after one year.
Kim’s rehab from the shoulder procedure carried into July. He’d wind up going back on the injured list twice more as he battled lower back issues. Those stints were brief, but his time in Tampa Bay consisted of 24 games with a .214/.290/.321 batting line. It’s certainly not what the Rays wanted for what amounted to nearly $11MM on their part. They were happy to shed the contract in the final month, getting them off the hook for the ’26 option.
The brief stint in Atlanta was a little more encouraging. Kim played 24 games with the Braves. He hit three homers with a .253/.316/.368 slash in 98 trips to the plate. That included a 10-game hit streak in the middle of September, though he recorded only two hits in 25 plate appearances in the final week of the season. He concluded with a .234/.304/.345 line across 191 trips to the plate.
Kim’s camp nevertheless feels he’ll be able to find a multi-year contract that is preferable to the $16MM option. They’ll be aided by the lack of middle infield alternatives on the open market. Assuming Trevor Story doesn’t opt out of the two years and $55MM remaining on his contract with Boston, Kim would be the second-best free agent shortstop after Bo Bichette.
He’ll hit the market without any draft compensation, as the Braves are not permitted to make a qualifying offer because he changed teams midseason. Kim could try to max out on a three-year deal or look for another two-year pact with an opt-out similar to the one he got from Tampa Bay. His old team in San Diego could look for a shortstop to push Xander Bogaerts back to second base. The Giants, Tigers, Royals, Pirates and Brewers are other clubs that look for help at one or both middle infield positions.
I figured he would though it will be seen if that was a good idea or not.
Stands to reason the Braves will offer him the contract he opted out of if worse comes to worst.
Pretty much
expected. Now let’s see if the Braves can re-sign him without overpaying
Why do fans care if overpaid a little. One no one knows if he’s being overpaid at the moment of signing. Second we have no one at all to play short so maybe we have to get out of our comfort zone. If we wont pay 3/50 then maybe the fans shouldn’t go to the games.
Agreed about overpaying, but ATL may feel more comfortable about going to a level financially after the successful audition, not unlike trade-and-signings (Olson, Murphy, Sale) that had been given the bag before an inning played, but after being acquired. They seem to know what they got (unless a player is withholding an injury from them…(Murphy)).
Nick Allen is a viable (replacement level) option. He was worth .7 WAR (26th in MLB), and there aren’t necessarily better established options available (besides HSK).
Allen was just runner-up to Masyn Winn for the Gold Glove at SS in the NL so it’s not like SS is a terrible position for the Braves, it’s just Allen provides little offensively
Allen is feeble offensively. Mercy
Provides little any be giving too much credit. I’m all about a “glove first” SS, but with Allen there’s nothing that comes second.
The Braves once rostered Rafael Belliard for parts of 8 seasons during their 90’s heyday and Allen is probably on par, if not slightly better than him offensively so there’s that
well it all depends how you define a little 🙂
IMO most players are overpaid… a lot 😀 (/s but still true)
If you think his bat will come back too around mlb average he might be worth around 3/50 (+/-). just on paper, looks like that might be happening.
There that goes. It was nice knowing you.
Boras clients and the Braves haven’t been good at marching up. I wouldn’t mind seeing a 2-3 yr reasonable deal.
Historically, no — but Boras is MLB’s Pillow Guy and ATL loves doling out springboard opportunities for higher paydays whether in ATL (rarely) or elsewhere. As long as they get their short term results.
A system that could work out nicely for all parties.
Seems to me like he might be worth 2/30..but not much more.
Is Kim a $16M/year player? Really?
“Is Bichette really a $100M+ SS?” is the real question, b/c that’s the alternative. Considering Kim can/has played multi-positions with a league average bat (when healthy), his floor is a great utility IF not unlike Ben Zoborist back in the day…and the best part, you don’t have to overpay Bo and try and get him off of SS.
Actually I would not be shocked if he signs for 2 years $40 million or like 3 years $56 million. He has already proved he has recovered sufficiently to play SS adequately defensively.
I firmly believe that most teams will consider him the top true SS on the free agent market. While Bichette definitely has a far superior bat, Bichette’s defense is absolutely horrendous.
Remember it only takes ONE team that wants to pay him big money. I cannot see him signing for only 16 million a year, especially as a Boras client.
My guess 3/42 to a 3/50 awaits
I think 3/50 is his floor. I think 5-10 teams will be willing to offer him a 2 year deal, Braves included, I’m sure. 3-51 from the Tigers would be my prediction. Braves will end up trading for their 26 SS.
When the choice is Kim or Nick Allen yes. Overpay maybe or maybe not. Wont know until you sign him. People that Yamamoto was overpaid but they don’t know.
Kirk-What these clown posters do not realize is that grossly overpaid players like this guy do one thing- raise ticket prices for those stupid enough to pay them.
The billionaires and millionaires are the ones cashing in.
I don’t think anyone is ignorant of the repercussions of the economics of the consistent rising salaries on how they affect ticket prices, concessions and other peripherals. I think we are all concerned about that.
However, no matter the name calling, our concern doesn’t mitigate the facts that it is likely that since Kim is now basically the top free agent SS that someone will pay him substantially more than he would have been worth a few short years ago.
Yes,I do not begrudge that he can make as much as he can.
And while you may be bright enough to understand the economics involved not everyone is.
He was injury prone this year.
He may be a good fielder but almost every team has good fielding shortstops in the minor leagues that may very well be poor hitters but can show up every day.
He is an average hitter at best.
The richer mid level and all major market teams can afford to overpay or grossly overpay this type of player but not all teams can.
You may understand that but not all posters do.
With record profits and team valuations at all-time highs, you’re serving owners exactly what they want to hear- blame it on player salaries.
Ticket prices are based on the fundamental supply vs. demand dynamics. Once a team knows they can sell tickets at a certain price they will, regardless of payroll.
Will signing a player like Juan Soto increase demand? Yes. But does Cohen take Soto’s salary and simply divide it by the number of expected tickets sold? Absolutely not..
Classic AA fumble.
AA didn’t fumble anything here.
He shrewdly grabbed Kim on waivers in the hopes Kim would exercise his player option.
Even if Kim signs elsewhere, all this cost AA was $1-2M for the opportunity to lock up SS in 2026.
Besides, all is not lost. They could still agree to a new contract.
No he screwed up again. He really believed Kim would stay on his contract once he saw how “great” it is in Atlanta. AA has been outsmarted again. Maybe he can bring back Kelenic for $20 million.
Never Remember is a troll. AA never said those things.
Never Remember is definitely a troll. He’s also blackpink (and several other names that were banned.) He’s paid the Trade Rumors fee and is now apparently free to troll w/out repercussion. He also mutes everyone so he doesn’t have to face pushback to his garbage. What a guy……………………………..
If you hope a player will exercise his player option it’s 100% he won’t.
AA didn’t have to claim Kim to “have the opportunity” to sign him.
AA has to overpay someone. If he trots out Nick Allen the fan base will mutiny.
He wasted 2M to get a worse draft pick.
Fill every other need, I’m fine with Nick Allen at SS. Allen is amazing defensively. You can live with the below average offense at one position.
Agreed but that’s assuming Harris, Albies, & Murphy somehow completely turn things around at the plate.
What is his market ?
What teams are going to be after him ?
I don’t see a lot of SS needy teams that are in position to give him the money he is seeking
I thought $16 million was good enough
Maybe he is just looking to lock up more years
AJ Preller intensifies…
Giants were interested in past years. He would slot in at 2B. I do however think they give Schmitt a shot at 2B. If I remember correctly Kim is friends with Jung Hoo Lee which could be a factor in Kim’s thinking. We shall see.
Not really much of an upgrade.
Would rather they spend on pitching.
In house options look just as good.
Pass.
The Dodgers sign him and create mass confusion by spectators and commentators about the two infielder H. Kims.
It would be the spiderman meme. On top of the names being similar they both played SS for the same KBO team.
If Ozzie’s defense weren’t so horrendous, I’d think about plugging in Nacho at short just in case you can’t find another offensive option better than Allen.
I want to always hate Boras, but it makes sense. Hopefully the Braves can get him, but the typical clauses associated with Boras clients don’t mix with ATL’a approach. Maybe they’ll give in?
“I want to always hate”…The Rays moved on, because the talent level doesn’t meet the price point of the player in question. Kim is one of the better defensive SS I’ve ever seen, but I don’t like him to the extent of paying him $15M+/yr.
I believe Kim’s potentially a starting SS on a team that can afford his shaky offense. Or perhaps, an infield utility guy on a more offense needy team. Either way, I don’t believe the overall talent meets the price point being asked.
His offense isn’t as shaky as you make it out to be. Kim has the EXACT same career OPS+ as Dansby Swanson.
Good defense and roughly league average offense is a very good outcome for a shortstop.
Not surprising considering the Braves claimed him knowing he had a player option and then his play improved after he came over to Atlanta.
Taking a chance on himself. I dunno we’ll see if that was a good idea. The talents there no doubt about that but maybe should’ve took the 16 mil and try it again next year?
Off to the Tigers!
I’m guessing the Braves will have a clearer fiscal picture once they offload Murphy’s contract…
Dodgers for sure. Book it. 20 years x 25M
I actually thought he might not opt-out… this is a gamble on his part. His health seems to bring more question marks to the table than a contender would be willing to bank on beyond… a year.
Big splash coming for the Braves, but it won’t be Bichette. Like it or not, Nick Allen is not the problem. He’ll be there next year. But the other moves will be what’s exciting.
If Atlanta has a “No Boras Clients” rule, I endorse that.
Boras is bad news and too much drama
I’m hoping the Yankees sign him for 2 years with a player opt out. With Volpe starting on the IR and Kim’s versatility plus high contact and stolen base threat he is the perfect fit for that lineup. Volpe can come back when ready as a super utility and I’m hoping Jazz is moved and the Yankees trade for Brendan Donovan to play second. Those two moves as well as signing Kazamoto to platoon at 1st and 3rd will reinvent the lineup from an all or nothing home run or strikeout approach.
Scott Boras must have gotten word of the Braves intention to name Walt Weiss as manager!
A good team can afford a glove first shortstop like Nick Allen. Save money and add elsewhere.
Kim is going to be disappointed.