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The Atlanta Braves are going into the offseason waiting for one thing to happen before they can plan their path through free agency: the decision of Ha-Seong Kim. Kim is the Braves’ current shortstop and has a player option on his contract. If he declines it, the Braves need to look for another shortstop.
If he does decline, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller believes that the Braves should pursue Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Bo Bichette as a replacement.
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“Atlanta is patiently waiting to find out whether Ha-Seong Kim will be back in 2026 on his $16 million player option. If he declines it, the Braves become a motivated suitor for Bichette. Even if Kim stays, though, Atlanta could be in the mix for Bichette after back-to-back seasons of experiencing the perils of having just no positional depth worth mentioning,” Miller wrote.
This season, Bichette finished slashing .311/.357/.483/.840 with 44 doubles, 18 home runs, and 94 RBI in 139 games played. He definitely would be an amazing offensive upgrade from Kim, who only slashed .235/.304/.345/.649 with five homers this season, although he only played 48 games. Kim is also a Gold Glove, unlike Bichette, who is one of the worst defensive shortstops in the MLB.
However, like Miller said, the best option the Braves could ask for is if Kim picks up his player option, and then they go out and get Bichette. Having both players, who play shortstop, second base, and third base, would give them a lot of flexibility with lineups. They get the offense of Bichette and the defense of Kim.
Hopefully, Kim picks up his option, and the Braves go all-out in pursuing Bichette. If they do, they could be in the driver’s seat for the NL East.
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