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Kim Ha-seong re-signs with Braves for one year on $20 million deal

Published: 16 Dec. 2025, 15:45 Updated: 16 Dec. 2025, 15:46

Atlanta Braves shortstop Kim Ha-seong fields a ball hit by Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz in the first half of an MLB game on Sept. 27 in Atlanta. [AP/YONHAP]

Infielder Kim Ha-seong has re-signed with the Atlanta Braves on a one-year deal worth $20 million, MLB.com announced on Monday.

A multiyear contract with the Braves did not come to fruition after the 30-year-old had a relatively quiet season in 2025 due to injury. He avoided injury throughout his first three MLB seasons, but minor calf and back issues troubled him after he suffered a shoulder injury in August last year.

Kim started his MLB career in 2021 by joining the San Diego Padres. After the 2024 season, he qualified for free agency and signed a two-year contract worth $29 million with the Tampa Bay Rays, including an opt-out clause after the 2025 season.

After the Rays released Kim in September, he joined the Braves, which needed depth at shortstop. He finished the 2025 season with a .234 batting average, five home runs and 17 RBIs. In 24 games with the Braves, Kim posted a .253 average with three home runs and 12 RBIs.

“He’s only 30,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said. “It’s someone that we liked last offseason, but we just knew it wasn’t the cleanest fit because there was a world when he came back [from surgery]. He would have to play second base initially, and obviously we had Ozzie [Albies] at that spot.”

The end of the 2026 season still leaves Kim with a chance to grab a multiyear deal. Kim has proved his talent in the MLB, having won a Gold Glove Award in 2023 as a Padres player, making him the first Korean player to do so.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE YOUNG-EUN [[email protected]]