When the Atlanta Braves acquired Ha-Seong Kim, they hoped he’d play well and enjoy playing being a Brave enough to exercise his option, but the odds were always against that happening.
Players who pick up a player-option rather than become a free agent are as rare as hen's teeth. Generally, such players are either injured or experienced a down year, and Kim doesn’t fit that description. As far as we can tell, Kim's injury issues are behind him, and in his time with the Braves went well enough to convince teams he’ll return to the three-win player he was before he tore the labrum in his right shoulder in 2024.
Free agents at premium positions like Ha-Seong Kim rarely exercise options
MLBTR shows 10 shortstops entering free agency. Only Willi Castro and Bo Bichette are younger, and neither player is close to Kim defensively. Castro’s a utility man whose defense isn’t great at any position.
Bichette hasn’t posted a positive DRS or OAA in any full season. He’s probably a better option at second base than shortstop, but has said he’ll only sign to play short. Somebody will throw money at him because of his bat, but teams valuing defense will want better at short. Miguel Rojas is the only shortstop on the list with better defensive numbers, but he’s 37 and when playing every day, his bat suffers.
Trevor Story probably won’t opt out of the two years and $55 million remaining on his contract because no one would likely match it. The Sox may try to move his contract to give Marcelo Mayer the job, but the oft-injured Story plays at 33 next year, and even though he looks better defensively, he posted a -7 DRS and -9 OAA this year, so they’ll have to pay down at least half of his contract.
Tim Anderson (33), Dylan Moore, Isiah Kiner-Falefa (31), Keven Newman (32), and Orlando Arcia (31) are utility men with weak bats.
Next year, Kim plays at 30 and he already earned a Gold Glove as a utility man in 2023 when he posted 7 OAA and 10 DRS at second and 6 OAA and 10 DRS at short for the Padres. While he doesn’t have the bat of Bichette or a healthy Story, he’ll hit double-digit homers and play Gold-Glove caliber defense.
Show Kim the Money
Kim will easily make more than his $16M option as a free agent, even if it comes in the form of a multi-year deal at a lower AAV. Dansby Swanson (seven years, $177 million, no-trade clause) and Willi Adames (seven years, $188 million, no-trade clause) aren’t direct comps. Both Swanson and Adames entered free agency two years younger than Kim, offered more power, and were proven leaders on the field. So we have to look elsewhere.
In a subscriber-only chat, MLBTR writer Steve Adams offered Matt Chapman’s first contract with the Giants as a starting point. According to Spotrac, Champman’s included:
- Three years and $54 million guaranteed
- A $2,000,000 signing bonus
- A 2025 Player Option includes a $2M buyout
- A 2026 Player Option includes a $3M buyout
- A 2027 Mutual Option includes a $1M buyout
In the same chat, Adams suggested the Braves offer to add three years to Kim’s current option year at the same value, making it a four-year, $64 million deal. There’s always a signing bonus and if it’s the same as Chapman’s, it becomes a $66 million deal. That may not be enough especially with Scott Boras as Kim's agent.
The Scott Boras Factor
In a separate, earlier chat, Darragh McDonald didn’t pick an amount or a length. Instead, he went straight to the Boras factor.
"It’ll likely be one of those contracts that has multiple opt-outs attached, yet taking such a deal allows Kim more flexibility and more money than simply taking the $16MM for 2026."Darragh McDonald
Knowing Kim was going to miss half a season rehabbing from shoulder surgery, Boras negotiated a two-year deal for $29 million, including $10,000 for each PA over 326 for a $2 million maximum, and an opt-out after the first year. Why would he take less than $16 when he's healthy again?
Boras never takes a step back in AAV unless it’s for a long-term contract that ties up resources on players who are past their prime, or for shorter deals involving high face values with no-trade clauses and opt-outs.
The Braves don’t do any of those, and have never given a contract over five years to a player entering his age-30 season. Ozuna’s deal was for four years at $16M with a club option for the fifth year.
So, You Say There’s a Chance?
The Braves don’t have a Boras client in the books and haven’t since Alex Anthopoulos took over for many reasons. I can’t see Atlanta changing course after drafting three shortstops this year, and with an MLB contrived lockout looming. Oddly, the lockout might work in the Braves’ favor.
Without the looming lockout, Kim would easily get six years and $75 million from teams needing the defense, but the deal Steve Adams suggested because it guarantees money after the lockout. The question then becomes: would the Braves pay a player in that scenario?
That’s a Wrap
I think the Padres will fall all over themselves to bring Kim back to San Diego. They traded away the best shortstop prospect in MLB for Mason Miller and had to play the aging Xander Bogaerts at short. Other teams will want him as well because he can play second or third and will do so without complaining about it.
Maybe Alex Anthopoulos can extend him for the contract Adams suggested, or changes course on Boras-type contracts, but as much as I like Kim and understand he’s the best of the market, overpaying to keep him makes little sense.