Special defensive shortstop? Kim Ha-sung! Boras sales have begun...ATL? They don't really give you a discount
Nov 16, 2025
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'The Devil's Agent' Scott Boras moved. Boras recently attended a Major League Baseball general meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was to appeal to his customers, including FA shortstop Kim Ha-sung.
Boras gathered reporters who visited the general manager's meeting on the 13th (Korea Standard Time) and held the microphone, and "I think Kim Ha-sung is the best player in the shortstop market." There's no doubt about it. I think there are very few shortstop players with special defense in the FA market. If you're looking for a shortstop with special defensive skills, I think Kim Ha-sung is the perfect fit" raised his voice.
The Atlanta Braves are behind Kim Ha-sung's bold FA declaration. Atlanta recruited Kim Ha-sung, who was released by the Tampa Bay Rays in September, as a waver claim. Tampa Bay could not afford to wait for Kim Ha-sung, the team's highest salary ($13 million this year). Kim Ha-sung, who underwent shoulder surgery after last season, was able to return to the big league only in July because his recovery was later than expected, but he still had minor injuries to his back and calf after returning. While playing 24 games for Tampa Bay, he was sluggish with a batting average of 0.214 (18 hits in 84 at-bats), two homers and five RBIs.
Atlanta, which was thirsty for the main shortstop, was watching Kim Ha-sung. He even considered buying a trade. As soon as Tampa Bay made a waiver announcement, it made a claim and brought Kim Ha-sung, and the result was a huge success. Kim Ha-sung exuded a different energy than he did in Tampa Bay. There were no minor injuries. He hit .253 (22 hits in 87 at-bats) with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 24 games.
Atlanta fell in love with Kim Ha-sung from the time he played one or two games. The club wants to use Kim Ha-sung as its main shortstop by next year" to the point where it was mentioned. This is because there is no shortstop with adequate offensive power in the degree of Kim Ha-sung's defense. In addition, Kim Ha-sung was not an expensive player. Running a player option of $16 million (about 23.2 billion won) in 2026 allowed us to get the main shortstop really cheaply.
Contrary to Atlanta's wishes, Kim Ha-sung made an FA declaration. It wasn't a surprise. The U.S. media should offer an extension contract if Atlanta wants to tie Kim Ha-sung from the beginning. It is unlikely that Kim Ha-sung will implement the $16 million option.
Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos said "I was really happy with Kim Ha-sung. He is a great player, a great teammate, and a good defender and batter if he has good energy. Fans really liked him, and there is a big Korean community in Atlanta. We were happy to have him, and he showed a really good performance"It was well received.
Atlanta is grateful for helping Kim Ha-sung declare the FA, but the opponent is Boras. There is no way Boras will do a business that loses money.
The American sports media 'The Athletic'Boras is like a shark in negotiations. It seems unlikely that Kim Ha-sung will receive a home team discount to stay in a place where he has only spent a month (Atlanta).
However, Kim Ha-sung had a hard time adapting to the new environment, although his injuries were also injuries when he moved to Tampa Bay. One of the big reasons why Kim Ha-sung quickly regained his performance as soon as he came to Atlanta is Atlanta left fielder Jurickson Profar. Profar was a close friend of Kim Ha-sung and the San Diego Padres. Atlanta took considerable care to help them adapt quickly, such as allocating Kim Ha-sung to the next seat of Profar in the locker room.
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"Did Kim Ha-sung really say he liked our team? Perfect. Let's sign a contract right away. What are we waiting for?" he jokingly replied.
The Athletic is the biggest shortstop FA in terms of cost-effectiveness??He evaluated Kim Ha-sung as the superiority. The expected contract size of B? is $212 million (about 308.5 billion won) for eight years, and Kim Ha-sung's expected contract size is $50 million (about 72.7 billion won) for three years.
The Athletic is correct in Boras' claim that Kim Ha-sung is the best shortstop in the FA market. The only opponent, Rain??He is a much better hitter than Kim Ha-sung, but his defense is below par. Rain predicted that a team that wants to move him to a position other than shortstop will try to recruit him for around $200 million.
The media also reported that Kim Ha-sung had a career batting average of 0.242, OPS of 0.701, OPS+ of 97, and 14 home runs/60 RBIs per 162 games. He has a career batting average of 0.294, OPS of 0.806, OPS+ of 121, and 24 home runs/95 RBIs per 162 games. Each of them has played seven seasons in the Major League. The batting performance is incomparable, but Kim Ha-sung's average bWAR (contribution to victory over replacement players) is 4.2 high??The silver is 4.5. This figure is not Kim Ha-sung's defense??It explains how much better it is than it is,' he added.
Kim Ha-sung won the Gold Glove for the first time in Asian infielder history in 2023 and was recognized for his top defense in the big league. The problem is last year and this year's injuries and sluggishness. Even if there were signs of a rebound in Atlanta this year, it will inevitably lose the size of the contract because it did not play full time.
The Athletic said 'The prospects regarding Kim Ha-sung's contract vary. Some predict that Kim Ha-sung will earn $20 million (about 29.1 billion won) or more per year on a multi-year contract, while some expect to sign a one-year contract that requires proof (health and skills) for nearly $16 million in options that Kim Ha-sung rejected.
Still, the U.S. media does not seem to easily expect Kim Ha-sung's contract because he is a customer of Boras. Will Boras Magic work again this year.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
