After undergoing shoulder surgery last year and signing a two-year, $29 million contract with Tampa Bay, Kim Ha-seong took quite a long time to rehab after the surgery, and during minor league rehab games, he even suffered a hamstring injury. He only returned in July, but after his comeback, Kim Ha-seong was placed on the injured list twice due to back injuries, and with a .214 batting average (18 hits in 84 at-bats) over 24 games, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, 6 stolen bases, and an OPS of .611, he was finally placed on waivers in September. The highest salary in Tampa Bay club history Although they signed a contract, Tampa Bay judged further investment in funds to be meaningless and gave up on Kim Ha-seong. On the other hand, the Atlanta Braves, who needed a shortstop, did not give up and instead filed a claim to acquire Kim Ha-seong, but Atlanta, needing a starting shortstop, tried to use Kim Ha-seong about a month in advance and look forward to next season. At the time, the prevailing expectation was that Kim Ha-seong would choose a player option without opting out, but Kim Ha-seong had no achievements this year. However, Kim Ha-seong During the past month, he proved himself again, posting a .253 batting average (22 hits in 87 at-bats) over 24 games, 3 home runs, 12 RBIs, and an OPS of .684. After a month of healthy displays of being a top-tier shortstop, the scenario Atlanta had hoped for was becoming increasingly rare, but the situation has changed. There was growing speculation that Kim Ha-seong would reject the player option and opt out, and ultimately, Kim Ha-seong returned to the free agent market. However, negative public opinion is also considerable. Basically, ESPN argued that the month Kim Ha-seong spent in Atlanta was not enough to prove his value, so while a two-year contract is possible, it seems appropriate to sign a one-year contract with terms similar to player options and prove it again. The market situation itself favors Kim Ha-seong, but assuming he is healthy, he is a top-level shortstop and a utility player capable of playing all infield positions, holding high value. Kim Ha-seong, who re-entered the free agent (FA) market after rejecting a $16 million (23.3 billion won) player option, is said to be the only highly rated free agent shortstop resources—Bo Bisette and Kim Ha-seong—but Kim is still considered a player with question marks in the market. He said that the 24 games he showed in Atlanta this year are insufficient.
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