Among the more alarming stories of the Atlanta Braves' 2026 season has been a complete lack of offensive production from Ha-Seong Kim. Heading into this weekend's series, Kim didn't have a hit in his last ten plate appearances and managed one lone hit over his last 25 trips to the plate. This is far deeper than one cold streak, but an undeniable free agency bust that appears to be working his way off Atlanta's roster. It simply is impossible to defend this level of play when both Mauricio Dubon and Jorge Mateo remain rostered.
Both players salaries can be combined and still doesn't touch the $20 million Atlanta is paying Kim to miss the first weeks of the season and return as a lesser offensive version of what the team was given from Nick Allen a season ago. The fact that the Braves can actually look at Kim's resume and confidently say both Allen and Orlando Arcia offered more production points to the undeniable level of failure.
It is easier to swallow this frustration due to the presence of Mateo and Dubon. Both infielders are capable options up the middle and have presented surprising offensive contributions. Still, Kim was supposed to be an asset, but instead appears to be an obvious trade deadline salary dump if any team is willing to take on a portion of the deal.
Braves Cannot Deny Epic Free Agency Bust that Ha-Seong Kim Has Become
What has taken a lot of heat off Kim's failures isn't only the aforementioned surprise contributors, but the level at which the Braves have played this season as a whole. While the last two weeks haven't gone according to plan, Atlanta had an incredible margin for error due to the league's hottest start over the first two months of the season.
A huge division lead and surprise contributors stepping into important roles have taken the sting out of Kim's failures. Still, there is no denying that it is time to turn the page if there is any team willing to take on the shortstop.
Considering that Kim's contract is expiring, there is also the clear possibility that if a trade doesn't present itself, the Braves will punt on the contract. Parting ways with Kim to free up a roster spot makes a great deal of sense if a deal isn't there and there is no sense of improvement in the weeks to come. With this in mind, Atlanta shouldn't hesitate to begin exploring exactly what an exit looks like from a bust of a deal.
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