Korean reporter on Ha-Seong Kim: “Team loves him, he loves team”

Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos hasn’t beaten around the bush regarding the team’s need for a shortstop. It has been a black hole for the organization over the last three years, and he has called it a top priority several times since the end of the season. Anthopoulos has also made it clear he’d love to have Ha-Seong Kim back, who opted out of his player option for 2026 after spending the final month of the season with the Braves.

Kim’s decision to decline the remaining $16 million on his contract should have been expected. The market for shortstops is almost non-existent — especially with Trevor Story opting into his deal with the Red Sox — and Scott Boras, his agent, recognizes the unique opportunity in front of his client. If anything is working in the Braves’ favor, it’s that Kim genuinely enjoyed his time in Atlanta after spending most of the season in Tampa Bay.

“Team loves him, he loves team…” a Korean reporter said to Alex Anthopoulos at the MLB GM Meetings in Las Vegas this week, via David O’Brien of The Athletic.

“Oh, perfect!” Anthopoulos responded. “Let’s get it done then. What are we waiting for?”

Of course, as both quickly acknowledged, this is still a business, and nothing involving Scott Boras is ever simple for the club hoping to sign his client.

Kim’s market this offseason is wildly unpredictable. He is essentially the only true starting-caliber shortstop available — Bo Bichette is expected to be viewed more as a second or third baseman, given his well-below-average defense at shortstop, something that rarely improves with age.

However, the last 18 months haven’t exactly been kind to Ha-Seong Kim. A shoulder injury late in the 2024 campaign required surgery and significantly hindered his market, forcing him to sign a short-term deal with a player option in Tampa Bay. He then appeared in only 48 games this year, hitting an underwhelming .234 with a .649 OPS while not looking like his typical Gold Glove self defensively.

The limited market will surely help his case, but it’s difficult to imagine many teams handing him a contract of three or more years. Then again, it only takes one. And even though the Braves are desperate at shortstop, Alex Anthopoulos is not the type of general manager who makes decisions out of desperation. He won’t be strong-armed by Scott Boras into a deal he isn’t entirely comfortable with.

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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire

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