Ha-Seong Kim and the Atlanta Braves each got what they wanted: Kim received an extra $4 million after turning down his 2026 player option, and the Braves get Kim back to play shortstop.
Kim and the Braves agreed to a one-year, $20 million contract Dec. 16, reuniting after Kim played well enough in a one-month audition in Atlanta that he felt confident enough to opt out of a $16 million guarantee.
The Braves clearly wanted to retain him, even if they got just a 24-game glance at Kim in September, a period in which he hit five home runs and offered the promise of production at shortstop that’s been missing since Dansby Swanson signed with the Chicago Cubs after the 2022 season.
Kim, 30, was a versatile and valuable infielder for the Padres, notching a career high in home runs (17), WAR (5.3) and on-base percentage (.351) in 2023. But a shoulder injury dampened his outlook for free agency a year ago and the Tampa Bay Rays signed him to a one-year deal with a player option.
But Kim managed to play in just 24 games for the Rays and after they placed him on waivers — wary of being on the hook for the $16 million 2026 option — the Braves pounced.
His reacquisition continues a busy winter for the Braves, who signed All-Star reliever Robert Suarez and re-upped closer Raisel Iglesias, and added outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to a two-year, $23 million deal.