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Braves should be aggressive in their attempt to retain Ha-Seong Kim

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 10:35 AM ET

When the Braves acquired Ha-Seong Kim, there was a chance he’d only be a month-long rental.

Kim holds a $16 million player option for 2026, an option most assumed he’d pick up given how his season had gone. Injuries limited him to just 24 games with the Rays, where he hit .214 with a .612 OPS. That kind of production usually doesn’t convince a player to turn down $16 million.

But his 19 games in Atlanta have reminded everyone of just how valuable he can be when healthy. Kim is hitting .312 with three home runs and 12 RBIs — good for an .828 OPS — while flashing his usual elite glove at shortstop.

The impact has been immediate. The Braves are suddenly one of the hottest teams in baseball, winning nine straight after Monday night’s victory. During this stretch, they’ve scored at least five runs in every game, not allowed more than five runs once, and — incredibly — have yet to commit an error. That’s the first time that’s ever happened in MLB history.

Over their last 9 games, the @Braves:

haven't lost
haven't committed an error
haven't scored fewer than 5 runs
haven't allowed more than 5 runs

No other team in MLB history has done that over a 9-game span. pic.twitter.com/1hyKsYqFUh

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 23, 2025

While it’s far too late to salvage the Braves’ season, Ha-Seong Kim’s contributions are impossible to ignore. Shortstop has been Atlanta’s most glaring hole since Dansby Swanson left for Chicago, and for the first time in years, it feels like the Braves have a legitimate answer at the position.

They desperately need Kim to pick up his $16 million player option for 2026, but he’s now made a compelling case to decline it and test free agency.

Competent shortstops rarely become available, and when they do, they command eye-popping contracts. A $16 million one-year deal would be an absolute bargain for any contender, and nobody knows that better than Kim’s agent, Scott Boras.

This winter’s shortstop market is once again thin. Bo Bichette is the headliner, but he’ll be out of most teams’ price range — and there are questions about his long-term future at shortstop because of his defense. Trevor Story could be another option if he opts out of his deal with the Red Sox, but he’s also likely to fetch a much richer payday than Kim.

That makes Kim one of the most intriguing and potentially affordable options on the market if he declines his option. If the Braves view him as their long-term solution at shortstop, it may be wise for Alex Anthopoulos to get ahead of the bidding war and offer Kim a modest extension now to secure his services beyond 2026.

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This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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