Alex Anthopoulos has made it clear that the Braves hope to bring back shortstop Ha-Seong Kim for the 2026 season. However, that decision isn’t entirely in their hands. According to Braves beat reporter Mark Bowman, Kim is expected to decline his $16 million player option for next year, creating a potential challenge for Anthopoulos.

The Braves could try to get ahead of the situation by offering Kim an extension before he officially hits free agency. But since Kim is represented by Scott Boras, that process is unlikely to be straightforward.

If Kim ends up leaving in free agency, shortstop would immediately become one of Atlanta’s biggest offseason needs — and the free-agent market doesn’t offer many strong alternatives. Still, Braves broadcaster C.J. Nitkowski recently mentioned a few high-profile trade candidates who could become targets, names that would undoubtedly cause a stir across baseball.

C.J. Nitkowski’s Braves Shortstop Trade Targets

Corey Seager

Seager is the most prominent name Nitkowski brings up and remains in the discussion for the best shortstop in baseball. Still, the notion of the Rangers at least exploring a trade isn’t entirely unrealistic, as I recently explained.

Why not toss out a bold idea? The Rangers are expected to cut payroll this offseason, which could involve moving their largest contract. Seager is owed $31.5 million annually for the next six years after signing a 10-year deal with Texas before the 2022 season.

So far, he’s more than lived up to that contract, earning three All-Star selections and producing 22.1 WAR over the past four years. Trading him would be a massive risk — one the Braves don’t typically make — but it could transform one of their biggest weaknesses into one of their greatest strengths.

Jeremy Peña

Peña is coming off a breakout season in which he batted over .300 with an .840 OPS. Few teams would even think about trading a player performing at that level—especially one with several years of team control—and it’s unlikely the Astros are seriously considering it either.

Still, Nitkowski raises some fair points. Houston acquired Carlos Correa at the trade deadline and could move him back to shortstop. The Astros also have a history of being proactive, often trading players at their highest value to avoid paying big contracts later. That approach could come into play this offseason if the Braves are open to dealing major-league talent in return.

Ezequiel Tovar

At some point, the Rockies will part ways with Ezequiel Tovar, but with five years left on his contract, that seems improbable this offseason. Tovar is a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop with some power, holding a career .720 OPS, and he’s under a team-friendly deal—owed only $43 million over the next four years, plus a $23 million club option for 2031.