The Braves have a laundry list of to-do’s this offseason, and shortstop is on it.
I think most fans would love never to see Orlando Arcia start at shortstop again. From the antics to being a tomato can at the plate, Arcia doesn’t have many fans left in Atlanta after hitting .218 with a .625 OPS in 2024.
Unfortunately, Braves fans may have to swallow that pill. His $2 million price tag is incredibly attractive, especially considering all the other needs that have emerged over the last week or so.
Moreover, the supply is not exactly robust with options. The top free agent is Willy Adames, and every club with a need for a shortstop will be in the market for him, including the Dodgers and Mets, who have much deeper pockets than the Braves.
It’s a pipe dream. There’s virtually no scenario I see playing out where Adames ends up in Atlanta, but he’s not the only option. Ha-Seong Kim is an incredibly enticing free agent target too.
The 29-year-old do-it-all utility infielder opted out of his contract with the Padres and isn’t expected to garner a lucrative, multi-year free agent deal like Adames because he’s coming off an injury-plagued season.
A cheap, short-term contract for a proven, versatile player — that’s right up Alex Anthopoulos’ alley. Unfortunately, there may be a significant roadblock to a deal coming to fruition. Kim’s agent is Scott Boras.
Ken Rosenthal, the biggest name in the business, literally wrote a piece titled ‘Why there aren’t more Scott Boras clients on the Braves and Dodgers’ in February.
There’s a reason, though. “Both teams’ lack of Boras clients reflect their respective approaches to roster construction — approaches that do not always jibe with the way Boras does business.”
It’s not that the Braves “harbor antipathy toward” the super agent. Atlanta has pursued Boras players in the past, and fortunately, it seems this player, Ha-Seong Kim, will be looking for a shorter-term deal to rebuild his free agent value.
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Photo: Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire
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