Mauricio Dubon was an incredibly pleasant surprise for the Atlanta Braves.
They traded for him last November, sending Nick Allen to the Houston Astros — and it was a massive win for Atlanta.
The frustrating part now for the Braves is that Dubon’s contract is up. He’s due to be a free agent.
And it’s not clear whether the Braves will be the team that gets a chance to bring him back, or whether another ballclub will see what he did this season and give him a contract bigger than Atlanta might want to deal with.
Braves Face Mauricio Dubon Decision
This will be Dubon’s first foray into free agency, and so it’s a chance for him to earn a big payday.
Given that he is a two-time Gold Glove winner (so far) as well as a World Series champion from his time with the Astros, Dubon would be a nice signing for any team, even without considering what he did this year.
And then this year with the Braves, Dubon put up a career-best 2.7 Wins Above Replacement.
He appeared in 153 games for Atlanta and batted .276 with a .719 OPS that included 28 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs and 73 RBI. He stole 10-of-13 bases he attempted to swipe.
Dubon also split his time between left field, shortstop, centerfield, third base and second base. He put up positive Defensive Runs Saved totals in both the outfield and the infield.
This is the kind of player, thanks to his versatility, that is always useful for a contending team to have around. You don’t even really have to make a plan for where Dubon will play, because as the season goes along, it’ll dictate where you need him on any given day.
Dubon has also played for the Brewers, Giants and Astros, and he has finally developed into a key contributor in the past few seasons.
Now 32 years old, the native of Honduras may have a couple good years left.
Contract Outlook
Dubon played the 2026 season for $6.1 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility.
Given the season he just had, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Dubon sign for $10 million or more a year — and at his age, maybe just for a couple of years.
The Braves have a few value contracts still on their books, so Dubon could be affordable — but if he’s affordable to Atlanta, other teams will be looking at signing him, too.
It’s too early to tell what will happen with Dubon, but after he looked so good in a Braves uniform, it’d be painful for Atlanta to see him go.
Braves, Mauricio Dubon Reach Crossroads