After a hot start to his time with the Atlanta Braves, it didn't take long for Ha-Seong Kim to endear himself to Braves fans that have been longing for something to cheer for. However, whether Kim's torrid stretch continues or not, the question has now become whether or not Kim will be Atlanta's shortstop in 2026.
The answer to that question is complicated. At first, most experts thought that Kim was pretty much a lock to exercise his $16 million player option for next season. He missed the start of the 2025 season while recovering from shoulder surgery and has dealt with issues with his back, foot, calf, and hamstring this season as well. It made logical sense that he would pick up his option and try to rebuild his value from there.
However, there was always a chance that Kim would opt for free agency instead. In one of this latest pieces, Braves beat writer Mark Bowman articulated why Kim could choose to hit free agency and the competing factors involved in his current decision-making.
Mark Bowman raises the specter of Ha-Seong Kim leaving in free agency, but his actual take is more nuanced than that
At the surface level, Bowman's point is pretty straightforward. Kim's agent is still Scott Boras and this offseason won't have many quality free agent shortstops available. Kim would almost certainly be the best defender of the bunch and if he keeps hitting, Kim might be the best shortstop available period on the market and would almost certainly end up getting guaranteed more than what he currently has on his deal.
However, when you dig deeper, things get murkier. Not only does Kim have these injury concerns that could suppress his earning power this offseason compared to waiting until after next season, but he may slump for a week or two in September and then exercising his option is an "easy" choice. Bowman also mentioned that Atlanta could like what they see enough to try and just lock Kim up on a longer term deal. Kim's relationship with Jurickson Profar helps there, but one should always be skeptical of the chances of an extension when Boras is involved.
Ultimately, it feels like how Kim plays over the next couple of weeks will determine a lot. If he plays really well, you can bet that prospective suitors will start signaling a willingness through backchannels to pay Kim as a free agent and Boras will likely get him to opt out. If he stinks, then Kim probably sticks around. As for what happens if he plays just okay and it is a coin flip as to what player Kim will be next season, that is the million dollar question.