When the Atlanta Braves landed Ha-Seong Kim after thinking for weeks that the team was really going to enter 2026 with Mauricio Dubon as their everyday shortstop, fans were thrilled. Shortstop has been a concern off and on since Dansby Swanson left town and while Kim isn't a long-term replacement at the moment, he at least has a pulse and should make Atlanta appreciably better especially if his bat rebounds. However, there are some ripple effects here that many may not realize.
We are now in the middle of December and the Braves have Kim at short.