The Atlanta Braves only have a handful of free agents this offseason, but among them are a few key names. It’s the time of year when the discussion on whether or not to bring them back is in full swing. 

Fitting with the times, let’s look at one player the Braves should re-sign and one they shouldn’t. The first player being looked at should have a consensus on the notion. The second might be a little more polarizing. How you react will reveal what camp you’re in.  

One to Re-Sign: Ha-Seong Kim 

As unlikely as this looks at the moment, given the nature of the shortstop market, if there is one player the Braves should re-sign, it’s Kim. They like him. He likes them back. It just chalks up to finding the right deal that works for both parties. The Scott Boras dilemma could be a major wedge, but it’s still an avenue they can take and should take.

It was a small sample size, but the Braves got more out of Kim than they did any other shortstop in 2025. The bar is low, but he was a quality bat in the lineup that brought strong defense. Getting him on a two- or three-year contract would be a wise choice. 

While we continue to speculate on other avenues to add offense, such as at DH, getting offense from the shortstop position is the Braves’ ideal situation. They don’t appear to be willing to sacrifice defense, meaning Bo Bichette, for example, is off the table. If they sign Kim, they don’t have to cough up assets in a trade. He’s the most logical player they could re-sign this offseason. 

One Not to Re-Sign: Marcell Ozuna

Some will agree with this. Some very much won’t. That’s just how it is. Would it be a surprise if they brought Ozuna back? Not at all. A lower price tag would help. However, it’s time to move on. The Braves, looking to potentially rotate Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin at DH, have shown they could be willing to. 

Up until this season, or even up until a couple of months into the season, Ozuna was one of the more important bats in the lineup. He was an all-star in 2024 and participated in the Home Run Derby. 

Maybe his hip truly plagued him in one way or another, including altering his confidence and his approach. If it did, we could expect him to be back to form, or close to the form we’re used to, next season. However, it’s a big if. He’ll be 36 next season. You just don’t know. While the similarly aged Raisel Iglesias saw progression, he regressed. 

When looking back beyond last season, there are other concerns. He went through a major power drought over the final six weeks of the 2024 regular season, with two home runs in his final 37 games. In 2025, he had one over his final 36 games. 

He posted recently that he’s already back to work and preparing for next season. That should bode well for him, and someone will likely pick him. It should just be another team where he can get a fresh start. 

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