ATLANTA (AP) — Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is returning to the Atlanta Braves, agreeing Monday to a $20 million, one-year contract that addressed a major offseason priority for the team.
Kim gets a $4 million raise. He had declined a $16 million player option from the $29 million, two-year contract he agreed to in February with Tampa Bay, a deal that paid him $13 million. The Braves announced the new deal with Kim Monday night.
General manager Alex Anthopoulos said a long-term contract with Kim was discussed before the agreement on a one-year deal. Anthpoulos said he still hoped Kim's return means “hopefully a longer marriage here.”
The 30-year-old from South Korea batted .234 with five homers and 17 RBIs for the Rays and Braves, who claimed him off waivers on Sept. 1. Kim didn’t make his season debut until July 4 because of right shoulder surgery in late 2024.
“This contract reflects our belief in him and he’s a much better player,” Anthopoulos said of Kim's 2025 statistics.
Kim has a .242 average with 52 homers and 217 RBIs for San Diego (2021-24), Tampa Bay (2025) and Atlanta.
Anthopoulos said he's looking for Kim to return to his production levels he enjoyed with the Padres.
“We think we’ve got a very good chance to get the guy he was with San Diego,” Anthopoulos said, adding it will benefit both the Braves and Kim if he has a big 2026 season and improves his status for a bigger contract with more years after next season.
“Come here, be the player you can be, have a great year and get the contract you deserve,” Anthopoulos said.
Atlanta designated right-hander Osvaldo Bido for assignment to open a roster spot.
The return of Kim means Mauricio Dubón, acquired from the Houston Astros for Nick Allen in an exchange of infielders on Nov. 19, likely will be available in a utility role instead of being relied on to be the starter at shortstop.
Dubón, 31, appeared in 133 games with Houston last season and batted .241 while earning his second Gold Glove, each time as a utility infielder. He also won a Gold Glove in 2023.
The return of Kim comes after outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and the Braves agreed to a $23 million, two-year contract on Wednesday that includes a 2028 club option with the potential to make the deal worth $26 million over three seasons.
It has been a busy week for the Braves, who also added two-time All-Star reliever Robert Suarez on Thursday to a $45 million, three-year contract.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
FILE - Atlanta Braves shortstop Ha-Seong Kim fields a ball hit by Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz in the first half of a baseball game Sept. 27, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 16, 2025--
Third paragraph, first sentence of release dated December 11, 2025, should read: The joint project will explore innovative smart RFID technologies for energy harvesting, backscatter signal reflection, and reliable signal acquisition.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251211411976/en/
The updated release reads:
HANSHOW AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE NEXT-GENERATION AUGMENTED RFID
Hanshow, a global leader in digital retail technology, has launched a multi-year research partnership with the University of Cambridge to develop next-generation Augmented RFID systems powered by distributed hardware architectures. The collaboration brings together Cambridge’s world-leading expertise in ultra-low-power sensing and communication with Hanshow’s industrial-scale deployment capabilities, aiming to set a new technological benchmark for the global retail sector.
As retailers worldwide transition to increasingly automated, data-rich, and energy-efficient store environments, demand is rising for IoT systems that can sense, adapt and operate reliably at scale. The partnership will tackle this challenge head-on by integrating Cambridge research in intelligent sensing, energy harvesting and algorithmic optimisation with Hanshow’s edge-computing platforms and extensive real-world retail data infrastructure.
The joint project will explore innovative smart RFID technologies for energy harvesting, backscatter signal reflection, and reliable signal acquisition. By combining theoretical modelling, simulation and in-store experimentation, the team aims to dramatically improve signal coverage, data fidelity and resilience in complex retail environments.
For Cambridge researchers, the collaboration offers an opportunity to demonstrate how state-of-the-art engineering in distributed hardware systems can deliver measurable commercial and societal impact. For Hanshow, it provides a direct innovation pathway to future AIoT-driven retail solutions that enhance operational accuracy, reduce energy consumption and support more sustainable, responsive store infrastructures.
“With this collaboration, Hanshow is taking a decisive step toward reshaping the technological backbone of future retail,” said Min Liang, CTO of Hanshow. “Working with Cambridge enables us to convert advanced research into scalable, intelligent systems that deliver meaningful value for retailers worldwide.”
“By combining our work in low-energy, high-efficiency hardware with Hanshow’s global innovation capacity, we can accelerate the arrival of truly adaptive retail IoT,” said Associate Professor Michael Crisp, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge. “This partnership is a powerful example of how academic–industry collaboration can drive real-world impact.”
The programme will progress through a series of research milestones and experimental deployments, generating both academic outputs and commercially ready technologies. It forms a central part of Hanshow’s global R&D strategy to connect digital and physical retail through AIoT architectures that improve efficiency, transparency and sustainability.
Hanshow continues to expand its worldwide innovation network, investing in open research collaborations that transform cutting-edge engineering into solutions that help retailers compete in an increasingly data-driven marketplace.
About Hanshow
Hanshow is a global leader in developing and manufacturing electronic shelf labels and digital store solutions. The company offers customers a series of customized IoT touchpoints and digital store solutions that deliver customer-centric insights. Hanshow’s solutions have provided services to a vast number of stores in over 70 countries and regions, helping them streamline operations, optimize pricing strategies, and offer customers a more personalized experience. In addition, Hanshow delivers advanced digital energy solutions, supporting clients with intelligent in-store energy optimization and integrated PV storage charging systems to reduce energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, and accelerate their transition toward sustainable operations. Learn more: www.hanshow.com
CORRECTING and REPLACING Hanshow and the University of Cambridge Announce Strategic Research Partnership to Advance Next-Generation Augmented RFID
