MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported that Ha-Seong Kim is expected to decline his $16 million player option and become a free agent if the Braves don’t make him a compelling offer first. That seems like about what you would expect from a Boras client, though Kim’s less-than-stellar 2025 introduced some doubt. While Kim does seem to have enjoyed his brief time in Atlanta, he remains a Boras client and those don’t tend to leave money on the table. It seems pretty unlikely that Kim and Boras would agree to a deal before hitting the open market with no real risk in waiting to at least hear offers. That adds a good bit of uncertainty into the Braves’ offseason, as shortstop is arguably the biggest hole on the roster and it won’t be something they can tie up before the offseason starts in earnest. It does add some optionality though, if Alex Anthopoulos can find something creative on the trade market.
