Braves $20 million bust expected to be traded before MLB trade deadline

Braves $20 million bust expected to be traded before MLB trade deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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With how well the Atlanta Braves have played this season, there is really no debate that they’re going to go out and make the necessary moves to improve on all fronts at this trade deadline. 

The Braves have done well enough to make the big move many fans are hoping for, though they might have to get a bit creative with their trade offers. The Braves have a rather average farm system and not a ton of guys who will bring back a massive return at the deadline. 

However, there are some players on the big-league roster who could be thrown into some of those packages, or at the very least, moved for other reasons.

One of them is Ha-Seong Kim, who MLB.com’s Braves reporter recently floated the idea of trading with one of their top pitching prospects to have a team pay the remainder of his $20 million salary.

“Kim wouldn’t be the centerpiece of any deal. But it doesn’t feel like he has a fit in Atlanta with both Mauricio Dubón and Jorge Mateo looking like better options at the shortstop position. Pairing Kim with a top pitching prospect and agreeing to pay the remaining portion of his $20 million salary to a middle infield-needy team could net a decent return,” Mark Bowman wrote.

The Braves shouldn’t really be in the market to shed salary here, but I don’t think that’s the case if they were to move on from Kim. 

Unfortunately, Kim just hasn’t been the guy the Braves have been looking for this season, as he’s currently 5-for-52 and has dealt with too many injuries. The 30-year-old was once viewed as a very good player with the San Diego Padres, but hasn’t been great over the past year and a half, with those injuries being at the top of the list as to why.

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