The Braves’ offseason has already started to take shape, and one of the clearest decisions on the board is what to do at shortstop. Atlanta was bounced by the Dodgers in four games in the National League Division Series, and now the front office has a chance to reset a roster with a few notable free agents.
The biggest priority for this team has to be starting pitching. Tyler Mahle is headed for free agency, and bringing him back should be near the top of the list. Atlanta also has some infield depth worth keeping around, with Mauricio Dubon standing out as a player the club should try to re-sign because of his versatility.
Ha-Seong Kim is the name that does not fit into that plan.
Kim was supposed to be the Braves’ starting shortstop in 2026, but an injury delayed his season from the start. Once he finally returned, he never really settled in. Over 51 games, Kim hit just .116/.219/.140, and while missing time can make it hard to find a rhythm, he still didn’t give Atlanta much offensively.
His postseason was quiet too. In eight plate appearances, Kim did not get a hit, though he did draw two walks and score one run.
Kim is still a big league-caliber player, but it looks like a change of scenery would serve both sides best. The Braves need to move in a different direction at shortstop, and Kim probably needs a fresh start somewhere else.
In Other News...
Braves Offseason Mistakes Left Atlanta Exposed When October Finally Hit
Atlantas postseason unraveling against the Dodgers did not happen in a vacuum. It traced back to the way the front office tried to patch together the roster last winter, from searching for a shortstop answer to trying to stabilize left field and build enough starting pitching depth to survive October.
Ha-Seong Kim was supposed to help solve one problem in the infield, while Jurickson Profar was part of the outfield plan, and the Braves also bet they had enough on the mound to carry them through the grind. Instead, the offense never found the kind of rhythm Atlanta needed in the NLDS, and the pitching staff did not have much room for error when the games tightened up against Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Offseason Could Turn On A Few Familiar Free Agent Calls
The Braves offseason may end up coming down to a handful of familiar names, and that makes the decisions feel both practical and precarious. Ha-Seong Kim, Raisel Iglesias, Mauricio Dubon and Tyler Mahle are all in the mix as pending free agents, giving Atlanta a set of options that ranges from dependable bullpen help to versatile depth and rotation upside. With a lockout looming and free-agent spending still clouded by uncertainty, even straightforward roster planning could get pushed into a waiting game.
Among those possibilities, the Braves are weighing performance, fit and cost against a market that may not make life easy. Kim brings a different type of roster flexibility, Dubon offers versatility, and Mahle represents a pitching gamble that could quickly get pricey. Atlanta has reasons to keep talking to several of them, but the real challenge may be deciding which familiar call is worth making first when the market finally opens up. [Read more 🡒]
Max Frieds Yankees Move Suddenly Looks Different To Braves Fans
Max Frieds first season in pinstripes gave the Yankees plenty to feel good about, at least in the long view. The former Braves left-hander settled in as a high-end starter in New York, finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting, and delivered the kind of steady regular-season work that made his move from Atlanta look like a clean fit for a contender. From the Braves side, it was easy enough to understand why his departure stung, but the bigger picture still looked familiar: a frontline pitcher landing with a club built to chase October.
The postseason, though, has a way of changing the mood around a season fast. Frieds numbers have looked less secure once the games have tightened, and the Yankees again found themselves out early in the ALDS, extending a recent pattern that Braves fans know well from their own October frustrations. For Atlanta followers still keeping one eye on their former ace, the question is no longer whether he can handle the spotlight over six months. It is how much the gap between that regular-season comfort and the October finish will shape the way this move gets remembered. [Read more 🡒]