Ha-Seong Kim claimed by the Braves: it says a lot about their plans for 2026

A few days ago, the Rays placed Ha-Seong Kim's name in the waivers. Kim was one of the club's signings last winter, but seriously struggled in his 24 games in Tampa Bay this year.

He missed several months at the start of the season, recovering from an injury.

The Rays put him on the waivers for a very clear reason: to try to entice a team to claim him so they wouldn't have to pay him $16 million next year, the salary Kim will earn if he accepts his player option.

And in the end, it worked: the Braves claimed Kim in the waivers.

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1962576877924855913

Kim, who is (still) on the injured list at the moment, will be activated and finish the year in Atlanta. The Braves will therefore have a month to evaluate him and determine what they want to do with him for next season.

And in fact, it's not a huge surprise in the sense that we knew the Braves were looking for reinforcements at shortstop. What is a little more surprising is that, by asking for Kim, the Braves are taking themselves out of the running for a big shortstop this winter.

If the club is already paying Kim $16M, it'll be hard to justify another big salary at the position. Seeing them sign Bo Bichette, for example, becomes more complex.

There's a world in which Kim's presence allows the Braves to target Bichette this winter for second-cushion play. Kim's defensive excellence combined with Bichette's struggles at shortstop open up options.

But then again, Ozzie Albies is likely to be another factor in this one. Is it realistic to go after a guy like Bichette if Kim and Albies are around? Does this open the door to Albies being traded?

What's clear is that the Braves wanted to improve at shortstop, and a healthy Kim should help them there. And suddenly, a team that was seen as logical for Bo Bichette is a destination that makes a lot less sense than it did 24 hours ago.

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