Ahead of last month's trade deadline,the Atlanta Braves opted to partways with popular utility player Jorge Mateo in favor of keeping the more expensive Ha-Seong Kim. It was a decision that appeared impossible to defend with Kim hitting under .100 for the season, while Mateo provided a speed and a strong defensive presence off the bench. Fast forward nearly a month later and things have flipped as Mateo is struggling with the Rays while Kim finally is showing signs of life and offering the Braves offensive production.
Kim spent a long stretch on Atlanta's bench before getting called into action August 26th in a pinch hitting spot with the game on the line. The shortstop delivered a game-winning hit and helped push Atlanta to a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the days since, Kim has played solid defense at short and collected five hits boosting his averaged to .120. As underwhelming as this might seem it signals a huge leap in production in comparison to what Kim had previously offered.
The flip side of this is looking at Mateo, who has hit .167 with the Rays and quickly faded after a solid start with the franchise. With this in mind, it is fair to defend what appeared to be an awful decision to keep a more expensive player, who wasn't going to offer anywhere close to the value Mateo's speed or flexibility handed Atlanta's roster.
Braves Decision to Bet on Ha-Seong Kim Aging Well After Shortstop's Offensive Surge
Collecting six hits over the last week and a half gives Atlanta's bench so much more flexibility and Mauricio Dubon a chance for needed rest. So much has been asked of the utility player that there needs to be a handful of opportunities over the final month to offer Dubon rest in hopes of getting his best when the games matter most.
No matter how things are managed there is no denying that the decision is no defensible as Mateo has faded and Kim is offering the Braves viable production. The hope is that this will last through the final month of the regular season and Atlanta will be able to keep their lineup rested as well as have a real reason to put Kim on the postseason roster.
A decision that only a month ago appeared completely impossible based on the complete inability to deliver offensively. It seems that having such a big moment as last week's walk-off hit has unlocked Kim and boosted his level of confidence giving the Braves a far more complete roster and handing the team a postseason wildcard.
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