Braves roll the dice, acquire potential shortstop for 2026

Shortstop has been the biggest hole on the roster since Dansby Swanson departed in free agency three years ago.

Nick Allen has performed admirably this season after taking over for Orlando Arcia. He’s elite defensively and could potentially win his first gold glove at season’s end. However, he’s one of the worst offensive players in the sport. Allen is a guy that should be used strictly as a defensive player at the end of games, not somebody who should be playing every day.

Ha-Seong Kim has had a very forgetful season for the Rays after signing with them in the offseason. Injuries have limited him to just 24 games, in which he’s hit .214 with a .612 OPS. He’s currently on the IL with lower back inflammation but is expected back before the end of the season, which will serve as a trial run heading into 2026.

However, the reason this is a gamble by the Braves is because Kim has a $16 million player option for next season, one that he will almost certainly opt in to. That’s a pretty considerable investment by the Braves on a player that essentially provided the Rays nothing this season.

If it works, it will look genius. Ha-Seong Kim will be 30 years old next season and has multiple 5+ WAR seasons under his belt over his five-year career. He’s elite defensively and can at least provide average offense when he’s healthy. That’s a big if going into next year, but it could end up being a massive pickup for the Braves.