Infielder Ha-Seong Kim is returning to the Braves on a one-year deal worth $20 million, a source told MLB.com. The club has not confirmed the news.
Kim, 30, became a free agent after declining his $16 million player option with the Braves for 2026. The option was part of the two-year deal he signed with the Rays as a free agent last offseason that guaranteed him $31 million. Atlanta claimed Kim off waivers on Sept. 1.
It was a frustrating campaign for the Bucheon, South Korea, native, whose debut with the Rays was delayed until July as he rehabbed from surgery the previous October to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He played around a right calf strain in July and twice landed on the IL with back injuries.
Limited to just 48 games on the year — 24 for Tampa Bay and 24 for Atlanta — Kim slashed .234/.304/.345 (83 OPS+) with five home runs. He also had -3 Outs Above Average on defense.
The campaign stood as an outlier to his previous work, especially with the glove. The shortstop joined the Padres on a four-year, $28 million deal in December 2020, coming over to Major League Baseball after seven seasons in Korea’s KBO. Over those four years, Kim produced a .242/.326/.380 slash (99 OPS+) with 47 homers and 78 steals in 540 games, adding 23 OAA.
Kim had his best season in 2023, setting career highs in homers (17), steals (38), OPS (.749) and bWAR (5.4) and winning a Gold Glove at the utility spot. The Padres made Kim their full-time shortstop in 2024, even after having signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million deal in December 2022.
