In the offseason, former San Diego Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim signed a two-year, $29 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. After recovering from injury, Kim’s stint in Tampa Bay never found footing.
In 24 games with the Rays, he hit just .214 with 0.1 WAR. Tampa Bay quickly moved on, placing Kim on waivers in hopes another team would absorb his remaining salary.
The Atlanta Braves did just that, and Kim has thrived since joining them. In 18 games with Atlanta, he is batting .313 with three home runs, 20 hits and 12 RBIs — already surpassing his production with the Rays despite playing in fewer games. Having shuffled through shortstops since Dansby Swanson left for the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta is hopeful to have found their future shortstop.
Kim, a former Gold Glove winner with the Padres, has displayed the same defensive ability and offensive upside he showed in San Diego, where he posted back-to-back 5+ WAR seasons in 2022 and 2023. Despite his track record, San Diego chose not to match a $14.5 million annual salary to retain him. With Xander Bogaerts sidelined earlier this year, some were surprised the Padres did not attempt to reclaim Kim, given their familiarity.
Bogaerts has since returned to the lineup as the regular season winds down. San Diego, firmly in the No. 2 wild-card spot with five games remaining, is likely to face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in the first round of the playoffs.
As for Kim, he’ll look to finish strong with Atlanta before preparing for a full season with the Braves in 2026.