Considering the non-tender deadline is on Friday night, some housecleaning is in order for the Houston Astros by the end of the week. The Astros entered the offseason with a whopping 16 players who were eligible for arbitration, but have already made some headway on those decisions, by designating Ramon Urias for assignment earlier this week.
Trades are a common practice across Major League Baseball, and ahead of Friday’s non-tender deadline, that likely will be the case. While the Texas Rangers are hoping to trade Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim before the deadline, the Astros may be hoping to follow suit with one of their own arbitration-eligible players.
Beat report Mark Bowman, who covers the Braves for MLB.com, reports that Atlanta has expressed an interest in trading for Astros utility man Mauricio Dubón. The Braves have a need at shortstop, and while Dubón would be a defensive answer at the position, his arrival wouldn’t preclude seeking an offensive upgrade.
Mauricio Dubón has been a staple on the Houston Astros’ roster, but he may be forced out by the roster crunch
Taking home a Gold Glove Award for the second time in his career, Dubón’s calling card with the Astros has been his versatility. Look no further than last season when he registered a game at every position. His bat makes him incapable of being an everyday player, and when the Astros added Urias at the deadline, the thinking was that Duboón could have been phased out of a role on Houston’s roster.
With Urias already being cut loose and Isaac Paredes potentially not ready for Opening Day, there is even a stronger case that Dubón should remain with the Astros this offseason. The issue is that the Astros are already strapped for cash, and once Paredes is healthy, their infield logjam will need to be resolved.
Projected to make close to $6 million next season, trading Dubón could be an easy way for the Astros to create some breathing room this offseason.
