The Atlanta Braves have kept themselves busy on Wednesday. The team announced that they had acquired two-time Gold Glove winner Mauricio Dubón in exchange for shortstop Nick Allen.
In the move, the Braves flip a shortstop in exchange for a utility man with a slightly higher ceiling at the plate. Word of interest in Dubón arose earlier in the day. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman wrote that the team had inquired into him.
Based on Bowman’s wording, it didn’t seem like a deal was near. Lo and behold, there was.
While Dubón’s bat hasn’t been stellar the last couple of seasons, he’s proven he can produce more than Allen. Back in 2023, he finished the season with a .278 average, a .720 OPS, 10 home runs and 46 RBIs in 132 games. However, since then, he’s batted .256 with a .651 OPS, and 11 total home runs and 80 total RBIs across 270 games in 2024 and 2025.
It’s likely a step back from what they would have with Ha-Seong Kim, who declined his player option earlier this month. Before he went hitless over the final weekend of the season, Kim was batting .289 with a .770 OPS in 21 games with the Braves.
General manager Alex Anthopoulos said, via Bowman, that he’s open to Dubón starting the season as the starting shortstop. However, the door is open to adding a starting shortstop. Whether or not they opt for Dubón in this role is depedent on how the offseason plays out.
He has played at least 25 games at seven positions, the two exceptions being pitcher and catcher. Dubón has been a designated hitter in a game once in his career. If they bring in a shortstop, he’ll have a role.
This is the third notable move by the Braves on Wednesday. About an hour before the Dubón deal was announced, the Braves announced that their closer, Raisel Iglesias, had re-signed to a one-year contract.
Earlier in the day, they made the move to acquire a reliever, Ryan Rolison, from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for cash considerations. All was quiet on the Braves front for a time. The floodgates have opened. Perhaps it gets quiet again, but they’re showing that they’re not afraid to be active this winter.
