Shortstop has been a black hole for the Braves since Dansby Swanson signed with the Cubs in free agency.

They have to upgrade from Nick Allen, but they look to have done just that yesterday when they took a gamble on Ha-Seong Kim, acquiring him off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kim has already been activated to the roster and is expected to pick up his $16 million player option for next season after spending most of this year on the IL.

He only played in 24 games for the Rays, hitting a lowly .214 with a .612 OPS.

It’s a gamble by the Braves, but one that could pay huge dividends.

When healthy, Kim is a gold glove defensive shortstop that can provide league average offense.

From 2021-2024, he averaged 3.8 WAR per season for the San Diego Padres. If that’s the version of Kim the Braves get in 2026, shortstop is not a position they need to upgrade this offseason.

But the acquisition of Kim did not stop MLB insider Buster Olney from connecting the Braves to Trevor Story of the Red Sox, who Olney thinks could opt out of his contract this offseason.

“Let’s face it, shortstop is going to be a focus in this offseason,” Olney said in an interview with 680 The Fan. “They (Braves) are going to go out and look for someone that’s going to give them offense along with some defense. A name that in the last 48 hours that is sort of looked at is Trevor Story, who is having an excellent year for the Boston Red Sox. He has an opt out in his contract after this year…”

The Red Sox can ensure Trevor Story does not opt out of his deal by guaranteeing him an extra year.

But would they do that, considering his injury history?

Story will be 33-years-old next season and played in just 163 games from 2022-2024.

“We talk so much about how the Phillies are in their window to win right now,” Olney continued. “That’s where the Braves are to me. They need to find a solution at shortstop for 2026. That’s an interesting name.”

Perhaps Olney is late to the party regarding Ha-Seong Kim and his player option for 2026.

However, doubling down on the middle infield with guys that can play shortstop wouldn’t be a terrible idea, especially with Ozzie Albies coming off the worst season of his career.

The Braves second baseman is hitting just .236 with 13 homers and a .659 OPS in 138 games.

Both Story and Kim have experience playing second base, and the combination of the two would make one of the Braves’ biggest weaknesses in 2025 a strength going into next year.