Trying to predict free agent contracts isn't for the faint of heart. Trying to predict the contract Ha Seong-Kim will land, however, feels impossible at this point. The Braves shortstop played in just 48 games in 2024 with below average results on the whole. However, due to the limited shortstop market, Kim seems poised to make some realy money this winter.
It feels all but certain Kim will decline his $16 million player option and test the market, but what's unclear is just how many years and how much money Kim will cash in on this offseason. Most Braves fans want Kim back at all costs, and Jim Bowden's latest contract prediction for Kim is a cost that ANY fan would be cutting backflips for.
Goes without saying but if Kim only cost $3/39M, the Braves need to do that yesterday
— Stephen (@b_outliers) October 27, 2025
Jim Bowden's contract prediction for Ha Seong-Kim is something Braves fans can only dream of happening
If you were to poll Braves fans and ask if signing Ha Seong-Kim to a three-year $39 million contract would be liked, you would be sure to get a resounding approval rating. The $13 million AAV is exactly what Bowden penciled in for Kim this offseason. Needless to say, if that is the number Kim's agent Scott Boras wanted that deal would've been settled a long time ago.
That projected AAV is the same amount Kim made when he signed his current deal with the Rays last offseason, and that was with the knowledge he would miss the first half as he recovered from his shoulder injury. It sure feels like any contract for Kim close to Bowden's projection means his market really fell short of what most baseball pundits expected.
It's not a guarantee Kim will land a mega deal that reaches nine figures, but his contract should have no problem doubling the $39 million Bowden projected for him. If that $70-80 million number becomes the asking price, then Anthoupoulos has a real decision to make. As we know, Boras is going to push to get every dollar he can for Kim. Don't be shocked if this thing drags out a bit longer than Braves fans are comfortable with.