Braves predicted to replace Ha-Seong Kim with $31M World Series MVP, Gold Glove winner originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves are in the midst of a playoff push right now, but they are also beginning to look ahead to next season. One of the biggest areas they could address is shortstop, as the position has remained a major hole at times this season.
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Ha-Seong Kim was supposed to be the move that finally gave the Braves some stability at shortstop. Instead, his performance has left Atlanta at a crossroads.
“Sounds like the Braves may be approaching a crossroads with Ha-Seong Kim. The belief internally may still be there, but if this continues another couple weeks, it feels like a legitimate ‘what are we doing at shortstop?’ conversation is coming,” Braves radio host Chris Dimino said.
Last week, Kim finally got things going by delivering a walk-off hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Just like that, the moment everyone expected arrived. Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim delivered off the bench for the Atlanta Braves to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-5,” SI’s Harrison Smajovitts wrote.
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Next season, the Braves could be looking for another shortstop. There is no doubt that the position needs to be monitored closely. HTHB’s Eric Cole believes Atlanta should consider trading for Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña.
“The odds of getting a quick trade of this magnitude done before the lockout starts are small, especially now that we know the Astros will have a new front office, but it is hard to find a better short-term fix to the Braves’ shortstop issues than Jeremy Peña. He is one of the more productive shortstops in baseball, and he is entering his final year of arbitration before hitting free agency,” Cole wrote.
It would be a great pickup for the Braves, as Peña could provide a reliable option at shortstop if he can stay healthy. He has already enjoyed tremendous success in his career, winning a World Series MVP and a Gold Glove award.
Peña has made $31 million throughout his career so far. The Astros shortstop could give the Braves the consistency they have been missing at the position over the past few years. Adding a player with his track record could provide Atlanta with a legitimate long-term solution at shortstop.
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