One MLB free agent was apparently willing to turn down longer-term financial security in favor of not having to play for the Athletics.
Veteran infielder Ha-Seong Kim signed a new deal with the Atlanta Braves this earlier this week (after already finishing out the last month of the 2025 season with Atlanta). Kim’s new contract with the Braves is for one year and $20 million.
On Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic made an interesting revelation about Kim’s free agency. Rosenthal reports that the Athletics offered Kim a four-year, $48 million contract (with “room to grow” as well). However, Kim turned that deal down in order to re-sign with Atlanta on a smaller and shorter contract.
Kim, 30, is a righty hitter who won a Gold Glove Award with the San Diego Padres in 2023. He then left to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2025 season but had a down year after getting a late start thanks to offseason shoulder surgery. Overall last season, Kim hit .234 with five homers, 17 RBIs, and six stolen bases through just 48 total games.
It is very possible that Kim is simply betting on himself to have a big year in 2026 and wants to give himself an opportunity to return to free agency next winter for a shot at even more money. But the Athletics were offering him a lot of money already (an extra $28 million in total, albeit on an average annual value of just $12 million), and Kim turned it down.
The Athletics do not exactly have the best reputation these days either as a franchise with an unpopular and tight-fisted owner in John Fisher running the show. While the team has been spending on free agents over the last couple of offseasons, that has seemingly been motivated by revenue sharing considerations and has not extended to other areas of franchise infrastructure.
Even the Athletics’ temporary home of Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif. (a minor league ballpark which is housing the team until their new stadium in Las Vegas is ready to open) is looking extremely inadequate. Apparently, Kim did not want have to deal with any of that and chose instead to re-up with the Braves for far less guaranteed money.
