Almost to a fault, former Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker was very loyal to his guys. While not universal, Snitker's tendency to keep running guys he likes out there over and over again and expecting a different result could be frustrating. Sure, sometimes Snit's instincts about a player proved right, but there were plenty of cases where they proved costly as well. If it were Snitker, and not Walt Weiss, managing right now, the odds are good that he would still be running Ha-Seong Kim out at shortstop every day right now.
It is an idea that isn't without merit. Yes, Kim has been terrible since returning from the injured list, but he has also been out for a while and didn't have a spring training. The only way he is going to get back up to speed (if he does at all) is by getting reps both at the plate and in the field.
However, Weiss and the Braves seem to view the situation differently these days. While Atlanta certainly isn't giving up on Kim yet, Weiss is being much more proactive when it comes to getting Kim the time and coaching he needs without hurting the Braves' lineup too much.
Walt Weiss isn't going to wait around for Ha-Seong Kim to figure things out, but that doesn't mean he is giving up on him
Recently, Weiss made it clear that the Braves' shortstop situation is "a day-to-day thing" and that he is going to just play the guy who is playing the best for now. Despite the fact that Kim is more expensive than any of the other options, there is no denying that Jorge Mateo has been outplaying him. Mauricio Dubon has fallen off, but he is still a strong defender, and the Braves have needed him elsewhere anyways.
So, instead of riding the veteran until he collapses or thrives, Weiss is getting Kim out of the limelight when he can so that he can focus on getting reps in the cage and getting back up to game speed while rewarding Mateo for playing out of his mind. Kim is still going to see playing time, but it is clear that Weiss is not willing to force him into the lineup when it could make the Braves' lineup significantly worse.
That is a largely welcome change. While it does invite some "slave to the moment" type concerns if done too much, that Weiss is willing to adapt as much as he has been so far speaks to his managerial style and makes it far more likely that he succeeds in the job. If Kim starts playing better, he will play more. It is just that simple and, thankfully, doesn't appear to have anything to do with the size of one's paycheck.
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