The main shortstop in the East Gate is here! Kim Hye-sung is willing to pay 25.1 billion won in ATL, which should have gone earlier, and escaped Tampa Bay in a surprise move

Sep 02, 2025

The main shortstop in the East Gate is here! Kim Hye-sung is willing to pay 25.1 billion won in ATL, which should have gone earlier, and escaped Tampa Bay in a surprise move
Kim Ha-sung is expected to play for Atlanta until next year. AP Yonhap News



The main shortstop in the East Gate is here! Kim Hye-sung is willing to pay 25.1 billion won in ATL, which should have gone earlier, and escaped Tampa Bay in a surprise move
Kim Ha-sung transferred to the Atlanta Braves on the 2nd (Korea time). AP Yonhap News
It's a total hit. At the end of the season, something that no one expected happened. The Atlanta Braves recruited Kim Ha-sung.

Atlanta announced on the 2nd (Korea time) that the Tampa Bay Rays had transferred the rights to Kim Ha-sung, who was announced on waivers. On the first day of expanding the active roster in the Major League from 26 to 28, Tampa Bay announced waivers to the pro baseball team instead of releasing Kim Ha-sung from the injured list (IL).

Atlanta then filed a waivers claim and secured Kim Ha-sung.




Atlanta will fully pay $18 million (about 25.1 billion won) out of Kim Ha-sung's two-year, $29 million contract with Tampa Bay in February, excluding $11 million spent this season. In other words, he has an annual salary of $2 million for the rest of the season and $16 million for next year. It is also because of financial problems that Tampa Bay sent out Kim Ha-sung through waivers, not releases or DFAs.

If you release it, you have to pay all the remaining salaries. The DFA must eventually go through the release process, with no club likely to respond to the first procedure, the trade. Kim Ha-sung can exercise an opt-out at the end of this season, but he is expected to give up.

Tampa Bay, which has moved away from the postseason possibility with 67 wins and 69 losses, will be able to enter the new rebuild by passing on Kim Ha-sung's remaining salary to Atlanta, allowing top prospect Carson Williams to be used as the main shortstop for the rest of the season in a relaxed atmosphere.




The main shortstop in the East Gate is here! Kim Hye-sung is willing to pay 25.1 billion won in ATL, which should have gone earlier, and escaped Tampa Bay in a surprise move
Kim Ha-sung is now out of his back injury and will play in the Atlanta uniform from the 3rd. AFP Yonhap News
Tampa Bay President Eric Nieder said "It was a big deal for us to sign Kim Ha-sung, who has a risk factor from shoulder surgery. However, I had difficulty getting a seat due to additional injuries, and that's why I took this step,' he said, explaining the background he solved on waivers.

In other words, Kim Ha-sung, who underwent right shoulder joint suture surgery after last season, has been struggling with injuries even after joining Tampa Bay, so he gave up the rest of his salary because it was a waste.

Kim Ha-sung will join the Atlanta squad on the 3rd and play in an away game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.




Then, why did Atlanta bring Kim Ha-sung, who is on the IL and has an annual salary of tens of millions of dollars. Last winter, Atlanta was considered a strong team that could take FA Kim Ha-sung. It was because the shortstop position was weak. However, it seems that Kim Ha-sung did not offer the conditions he wanted.

Shortstop is the most vulnerable part of Atlanta's lineup this season as well. The shortstop's total OPS is 0.525, the last among the 30 clubs. Orlando Arcia was released at the end of May, and Nick Allen, who won the main game, has been sluggish throughout the season.

ESPN said 'The Braves are ending a disappointing season with no excuses. However, in hopes of becoming competitive next year, he is willing to pay Kim Ha-sung's high ransom to bridge the gap,' he commented.

The main shortstop in the East Gate is here! Kim Hye-sung is willing to pay 25.1 billion won in ATL, which should have gone earlier, and escaped Tampa Bay in a surprise move
Atlanta shortstop Nick Allen. AP Yonhap News
Kim Ha-sung is now Atlanta's main shortstop.

Atlanta began sending love calls to Kim Ha-sung after the 2023 season. Atlanta emerged as a leading club when rumors of Kim Ha-sung's trade spread.

In 152 games in 2023, Kim Ha-sung marked a batting average of 0.260 (140 hits in 538 at-bats), 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, 84 runs, 38 steals, and 0.749 OPS, and won the utility Gold Glove, making his career high in Gongsuju. At that time, The Athletic calculated Kim Ha-sung's ransom at $150 million for seven years.

After suffering a slump last year, when he injured his shoulder against the Colorado Rockies in August, Atlanta also did not think about bringing in FA Kim Ha-sung even though it spent a lot of money. But now the shortstop situation has become serious, and Kim Ha-sung has recovered his health. We need to prepare for next season in advance. Bobbi, the big shortstop who will be in the FA market at the end of this year?? It's only there. Eventually, he held the hand of Kim Ha-sung, who had been watching for a long time.

Major League Trade Rumors said 'In theory, Kim Ha-sung can recover his condition at the end of the season and exercise the opt-out. If so, this waiver claim will end fruitlessly, but Atlanta will only see a minor financial loss' Atlanta expects Kim Ha-sung to give up the opt-out and remain next year. Atlanta believes $16 million is a good enough price to bet on reviving it as a competitive team next year.'





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.