When the Atlanta Braves entered the offseason after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017, the club entered with a few glaring holes, including shortstop when Ha-Seong Kim opted out. While the Braves made some contengencies, a reunion with Kim appeared to be the goal. However, the trade for Mauricio Dubon muddied the waters a bit and made many wonder if Atlanta was going to pursue Kim in earnest anymore.
For weeks, there was precious little about Kim's free agency and the Braves' potential interest in him out there in the rumor mill, which Braves fans should have probably taken as a clue that AA was at work.