This series became an intriguing one for the sole fact that the Braves made a very interesting signing on September 1. The Rays put SS Ha-Seong Kim on the waiver wire and sure enough, the Braves were the one who decided to pay hm $2 million for one month and hopefully $16 million for 2026 should he decide to exercise his player option for next season.
As such, the Braves received a small shot in the arm with the arrival of Kim as their new starting shortstop. While there’s still a big question as to whether or not he’ll be staying for next season (and assuming he doesn’t have the September of a lifetime, I’d say that it’s likely that he’ll stay), it’s still fun to see a new face arrive onto the scene this late into the season.