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The Atlanta Braves are reportedly checking in on potential additions. According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, they inquired into acquiring Houston Astros’ two-time Gold Glove winner Mauricio Dubon.
Acquiring Dubon would add more high-caliber defense to the roster via this utility man, but it wouldn’t necessarily fix the issue of offense. Back in 2023, he finished the season with a .278 average, a .720 OPS, 10 home runs and 46 RBIs in 132 games. At that point, he would have been a reasonable upgrade for the shortstop position.
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. By default, he’s an upgrade over Nick Allen. But he would likely have been a step back from Ha-Seong Kim, and the Braves would still have lacked the big bat they’re looking to add this offseason.
A perk of acquiring the 30-year-old utility glove would have been that he comes at a lower cost and is a short-term commitment. He’s expected to make $6.8 million, according to Spotrac. That lower-end salary would have offered the Braves some flexibility to make other bigger additions.
One of those additions could still have been bringing back Kim. All signs point to him liking his time in Atlanta, and the Braves liked having him around. Mutual interest helps. That being said, money also talks. If another team comes with a better offer, Kim is going to take it. He’s also a Boras candidate. Until the Braves buck the trend and make a deal happen, that has to be taken into account.
That defense needs to be replaced if they can’t get Kim back, whether or not they find a bat. Dubon would have fit that bill.
Along with offense from the shortstop remaining a question mark, the Braves still need to figure out how to replace other bats, such as Marcell Ozuna at DH. They currently plan to rotate Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy, but that’s on the condition they don’t get another DH.
At the very least, we know this team is active in their effort to make additions. They’re open to acquiring a shortstop via a trade. That’s a helpful note given the thin free-agent market at the position.
It’s a long offseason ahead. These are just the early calls. There are still the Winter Meetings ahead, where moves can happen. Things slowly heat up over time too. It’s a pesky waiting game everyone will have to sit through.
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