Braves run into similar problem with former Rays free agent signing

According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the Braves' newest shortstop addition will miss the first four to five months of the season with a hand injury. Ha-Seong Kim suffered the unfortunate injury after falling on ice in his home country of South Korea. This is a major loss for Atlanta as the Gold Glove middle infielder was set to be their starting shortstop for the 2026 season. Braves' fans are surely going through some mourning at the moment, but they should at least know that they can confide in Rays' fans as they went through a similar situation in 2025.

The excitement surrounding the Rays' signing of former Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim in February, 2025 was unrivaled. First of all, Rays' fans rarely witness a free agent signing to this magnitude as Kim's two-year, $31 million contract was the largest on the club at the time. Secondly, Tampa Bay finally added at a prime position. Generally, Tampa Bay focuses heavily on pitching and allows their farm system to feed the other key positions. This is certainly a respectable tactic that has worked for years, but it felt like the Rays were turning a corner with a deal to this extent.

The thrill slowly started to fade as fans realized the length of his IL stint. The front office also extended his recovery to be on the safe side as Kim didn't officially make his Rays' debut until July 3rd, 2025. At that point, Tampa Bay's playoff hopes were dwindling and the vibes around the club had shifted dramatically since the beginning of the season. Kim may have felt this shift as he produced a dismal .214 AVG in 93 at-bats. The lack of success and terms of this hefty deal led the Rays to surprisingly place the impressive defender on waivers.

The Braves made an easy decision in claiming Kim after struggling with filling their hole at shortstop for a few years. Ever since two-time Gold Glover Dansby Swanson left Atlanta for Chicago, their shortstop situation has been very shaky. Kim could solidify this position for them. However, the Braves' front office must be shaking their heads with this recent Ha-Seong Kim update. Immediately after the news got out, Atlanta signed former Orioles shortstop Jorge Mateo to a one-year deal. Mateo has struggled mightily since his breakout campaign in 2022 where he produced a 3.7 WAR with a league leading 35 stolen bases. Regardless, the Dominican infielder can at least fill in for Kim until he returns at the end of the season.