Alex Anthopoulos laid out the Braves’ offseason priorities when he met with the media on Saturday. Pitching will once again be the main focus, but shortstop is also a pressing concern. Atlanta hopes to retain Ha-Seong Kim, who has a $16 million player option for 2026, but if that doesn’t happen, they can’t afford to keep running out journeymen like Orlando Arcia or Nick Allen every day.

The Braves should look to extend Kim before he considers free agency. Shortstop isn’t just a problem for 2026 — the organization doesn’t have a top prospect close to the majors, so they need more than a one-year fix.

Of course, nothing is ever simple when Scott Boras is the agent. If Kim does test free agency, here are several shortstop options the Braves could target this offseason.

Trevor Story

Buster Olney mentioned Trevor Story as a potential Braves offseason target not long ago. The veteran shortstop posted 3.8 WAR with 25 home runs for the Red Sox this year and has the ability to opt out of the final two years and $50 million of his deal. Boston can override that by adding an extra year, but if he hits free agency, Story would be a major upgrade over Kim and fill a void left since Dansby Swanson departed in 2022.

Bo Bichette

Listen, I highly doubt Bichette is on the Braves’ radar, but given how desperate they are to find an answer at shortstop and the lack of options in free agency, I had to include him. Offensively, Bichette checks all of the boxes. He has a career .806 OPS and has 18+ home runs in four of the last five seasons. However, there are serious doubts about his long-term standing at shortstop. He’s already a poor defender, and that’s typically something that only regresses with age, especially at a position like shortstop.

But it is worth mentioning the Braves could consider using Bichette as a shortstop and then moving him to second base once the contract of Ozzie Albies runs out in a couple of years. By that time, one of Atlanta’s shortstop prospects could be ready to take the reins.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Kiner-Falefa certainly isn’t the sexiest option, but he’s more in line with the direction the Braves have gone in each of the last few seasons. He’ll likely be willing to take a one or two-year deal in the $5-10 million AAV range, offering plus defense with a little more offensive upside than players like Orlando Arcia and Nick Allen.

Anthony Volpe

The Yankees haven’t exactly been thrilled with the development of their young shortstop, who posted a career-low .212 batting average and 1.7 WAR this season. Perhaps they look to make a big splash this offseason for a player like Trevor Story or Bo Bichette, which would likely lead to them trading Volpe. If that happens, the Braves should be first in line on the phones. A change of scenery could do wonders for a talent like Volpe, and even if he does continue on the same trajectory, he’d still be a massive upgrade over what the Braves have had at the position.

Taylor Walls

Walls isn’t a star, but he’s another defense-first option. With Rays top prospect Carson Williams set to take over, Tampa Bay may try to shed Walls’ $2.5 million club option. He’s better than Nick Allen with the bat and elite with the glove, though he’s still closer to a stopgap than a solution.

Corey Seager

Why not include something wild? The Rangers are expected to shed payroll this offseason, which could mean offloading the biggest contract they have on their books. Seager is set to make $31.5 million for the next six years after signing a 10-year contract with the Rangers ahead of the 2022 season. To this point, he’s been worth every penny of that deal, making three All-Star teams and accruing 22.1 WAR over the last four years. It would be a massive gamble, one the Braves aren’t typically known for, but it would turn arguably their biggest weak spot into one of their biggest strengths.