The Atlanta Braves made a handful of additions ahead of this past week's trade deadline and brought back both Sean Murphy and Ha-Seong Kim. The fallout of all of these roster additions was the forced demotion of a number of players who had previously been filling important roles. This included Jorge Mateo, who provided great speed and defense off the bench. While the offensive output has faded, there is value in having Mateo rostered and giving you the ability to steal a base or plug in a strong defender at any point.
It is a skill set that the Braves opted to designate for assignment to allow for Kim to take an active roster spot as the team's new utility piece. This is a decision that shines a light on what was an underwhelming series of deadline additions followed by parting ways with a player who has been far more impactful and clearly offers a superior bench skillset to that of Kim.
Kim's defense is strong, but there isn't the ability running the bases or the level of flexibility that Mateo presents. Add in the fact that Kim hasn't managed to hit .100 this season when active, and there simply isn't a reasonable argument for why the Braves opted to keep the lesser player other than the fact that he has a higher salary and was expected to be the team's starter moving forward.
Braves Office Made Clear Mistake Parting Ways with Infielder Jorge Mateo
Kim might have a history of being a more productive player, but we have only two months remaining in the season and no hint that things are turning around for the veteran. Mateo has been a consistent source of energy and carries value due to his speed and defense, that simply are far better options than having Kim sitting on the bench while Jim Jarvis is expected to continue to hold onto the starting shortstop role.
No question, it was a decision made not based on what gives the team the best chance to win, but on salaries and level of investment. This only heightens frustrations for a fanbase hoping that the team would finally make a splashy move ahead of this year's deadline.
Opting not to add a proven starter while keeping lesser players rostered due to salary doesn't send the message Atlanta fans were hoping for. While the potential ceiling remains high, the path could've been unquestionably easier if the Braves had simply made the obvious decisions.
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