The Athletics attempted to sign Ha-Seong Kim at a low price but failed; foreign media speculate that his agent Boras's strategy was the main reason.

Yesterday, the Atlanta Braves reportedly finalized a one-year $20 million deal to retain Ha-Seong Kim in Atlanta. According to the latest media reports, the Athletics had actually offered him a four-year $48 million contract, hoping he would be their starting second baseman, but this offer did not succeed in attracting him to join.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Athletics tried to sign Ha-Seong Kim with a four-year $48 million deal, possibly with room for increase. The team planned for Kim to be the primary second baseman, while Jacob Wilson would continue as the main shortstop; if Wilson were injured, Kim could also cover shortstop.

However, Ha-Seong Kim ultimately chose not to join the Athletics and instead returned to the Braves on a one-year short-term contract. The report noted this aligns with the typical approach of players represented by Scott Boras: when the free agent market is unfavorable, they prefer not to sign a long-term deal immediately but wait for a better opportunity that truly reflects their value.

The report also mentioned that the top infielders currently on the free-agent market, such as Munetaka Murakami, Bo Bichette, and Kazuma Okamoto, are all expected to exceed the Athletics’ payroll capacity. Therefore, the team might look to strengthen their second or third base positions through trades next.