After a long wait, the Atlanta Braves signed outfielder Jurickson Profar from the San Diego Padres last week, marking their first major offseason acquisition.
It’s possible that Atlanta may continue to poach players from the Padres in the future.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently revealed that infielder Ha-Seong Kim might surprise everyone by joining the Braves. According to Spotrac, Kim is expected to sign for $49 million, but following shoulder surgery, she could be able to sign for less.
“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 stated. “Although they already anticipate missing both Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. on Opening Day, they can ask the Texas Rangers of 2024 how unpleasant it is to wait on players you already knew weren’t well before the offseason started.
“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.”
The Braves would have a difficult time stealing the star, as Miller said that Kim was more likely to end up with the San Francisco Giants and the Seattle Mariners.
Kim would be a fascinating addition to the Braves, but they would have to make a last-ditch effort to acquire him. To get the star, a team like the Giants or Mariners will probably have to shell out a sizable sum of money.
