The MLB non-tender deadline has passed and the Atlanta Braves let go of five of their eligible players. With this important part of the offseason behind them, Atlanta now has a bigger pool of free agents available to them.
Starting pitching and corner outfielder are the two positions the Braves have to fill if they hope to be competitive in 2025. However, they could also choose to try and upgrade at shortstop for the right price.
Much of the attention has been on Willy Adames as he's the best free agent middle infielder available and he has been linked to the Braves. However, he isn't the only option that suits Atlanta well.
Ha-Seong Kim presents Braves with high risk, high reward free agent middle infield addition
Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim declined his $8 million mutual option with the team earlier this month. He is now a free agent who has reportedly drawn a lot of interest from multiple teams already. Similar to Adames, he has a big market as he would improve any team that adds him.
The Braves are an excellent fit for his services as Orlando Arcia disappointed in 2024. Bleacher Report released a list earlier this offseason and agreed that Atlanta would be a "fantastic roster fit for him."
Kim won a Gold Glove in 2023 and even received five MVP votes after batting .260/.351/.398 with 140 hits including 17 homers, 60 RBI, 38 stolen bases, 75 walks, and 124 strikeouts.
Ha-Seong Kim makes an incredible over-the-shoulder snag! pic.twitter.com/sNYe4pQPnZ
— MLB (@MLB) May 20, 2024
Unfortunately, 2024 was a bit of a down year for the talented shortstop as he appeared in 121 games with a .233 average. He hit 11 home runs with 47 RBI, 22 stolen bases, 58 walks, 77 strikeouts, and a .700 OPS.
His season was cut short in mid-August due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder. This caused him to miss the remaining 41 games of the season. He underwent shoulder surgery in early October to repair the tear and that will likely keep him off the field until late April or early May.
The reason this presents a high risk for the Braves is that he is well-regarded for his defensive ability. A shoulder tear can be horrible news for a player whose value is found more on the defensive side. He earned a 4 OAA and 2 DRS in 2024 which are both excellent fielding ranks. Kim typically features great arm strength as well with an 88 grade last season.
However, the surgery was done on his throwing shoulder so it could damper his ability to be effective. He is 29 years old, so there's a chance he heals well from the surgery and it doesn't affect him much.
But signing a player with recent shoulder surgery would be a huge risk. Couple that with the fact that he is now represented by Scott Boras, and you set the table for a not-so-great outcome.
So, why would he be worth the risk? Kim presents the Braves with a hitter who is much more contact-driven. That is something the team has been missing. He's also active on the basepaths which is an area Atlanta underperformed in 2024. He would help take pressure off Ronald Acuña Jr. in that area.
At the plate, he doesn't chase a lot of pitches and puts the ball in play. He excelled in four major offensive categories last season, including chase % (18.6), whiff % (15.9), K% (16.4), and BB% (12.3). These metrics are all high ranks across Major League Baseball.
Atlanta desperately needs a player who doesn't strike out often and gets on base. However, the two risks presented may be too much for the team to bear. There's a chance Orlando Arcia will end up being the starting shortstop in 2025.