Jim Bowden's oddball shortstop solution for Braves would not solve a thing

Shortstop is a position that has been a problem for the Atlanta Braves each of the last two years, and most fans are hoping GM Alex Anthopoulos can bring back Ha-Seong Kim so that the long-term issue is finally taken care of. However, the shortstop free agent market beyond Kim is pretty barren, which of course means that if Atlanta fails to resign Kim, they will have to pivot towards a creative alternative.

Names like Willi Castro, Ezequiel Tovar, and Jordan Lawlar could be outside-the-box solutions, but each of them feel unlikely. Former MLB GM Jim Bowden, now of The Athletic, recently offered a more reasonable, yet creative pivot for Anthopoulos to entertain. However, the idea has just one problem...the player Bowden suggested is pretty uninspiring. The player in question is utility man Josh Smith of the Texas Rangers.

Jim Bowden's pitch for Josh Smith trade with Rangers isn't something the Braves should pursue

In a recent article from Bowden detailing possible moves for all 30 teams in MLB, he mentioned Smith as a possible name to watch for Atlanta. While the move could theoretically happen, Smith isn't a player that moves the needle much for Atlanta. Smith played all over the diamond for the Texas Rangers last season, playing every position except catcher. Most of Smith's time did come at shortstop while Corey Seager battled injuries, but the results from the former LSU Tiger were subpar.

Smith finished 2025 with a .700 OPS in 144 games played. Additionally, Smith's statcast profile is underwhelming, and he's not the type of hitter the Braves normally pursue. Another downside of this idea is Smith's below-average defense. Anthopoulos has always valued defense at shortstop, and Smith finished last season with a -5 OAA, which put him in the 11th percentile across baseball. About all that Smith does well is carry an above-average walk rate, limit his strikeouts, and run the bases well. The ceiling for Smith isn't one Braves fans would get to excited about.

Plenty of change is happening in Atlanta at the moment, and fans desperately want the poor production at shortstop to change in 2026. However, as badly as fans want shortstop to improve, rolling the dice on Josh Smith doesn't feel like a move worth making. Thankfully, as long as Ha-Seong Kim remains an option, Braves fans don't have to relegate themselves to vanilla fallback options.