It may have taken a while, but the Atlanta Braves finally made their first big move of the offseason last week when they signed San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar.
This might not be the last time Atlanta steals a player from the Padres either.
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently named the Braves a surprise landing spot for infielder Ha-Seong Kim. Kim is projected to sign for $49 million, per Spotrac, but may come at a discount after undergoing shoulder surgery.
“Between Orlando Arcia’s mediocre overall production over the past three-plus seasons and Ozzie Albies’ injury history in recent years, adding a versatile middle infielder at what might be a significant discount because of his shoulder seems like something Atlanta should aggressively pursue,” Miller wrote. “Granted, they already expect to be without both Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. on Opening Day, and they can go ask the 2024 Texas Rangers how unenjoyable it is to spend the first half of the season waiting on guys who you already knew weren’t healthy before the offseason began.
“But if they do sign Kim and ever reach a point of full strength, putting him at shortstop and platooning Arcia and Jarred Kelenic in LF could be an NL East-winning formula.”
Miller listed the Seattle Mariners and the San Francisco Giants as the two more likely landing spots for Kim, so the Braves would have their work cut out for them to steal the star.
The Braves would certainly be an intriguing fit for Kim, but they would need to get desperate to land him. A team like the Giants or Mariners will likely be willing to cough up quite a bit of money to bring the star in.
