No one with actual brain cells thinks that the Atlanta Braves are going to enter 2026 with Nick Allen as their shortstop. The Braves have been clear that addressing shortstop this offseason is a priority and most of that speculation has been around just how far Atlanta is willing to go to keep Ha-Seong Kim in the fold. However, Kim is not the only option the Braves are considering right now as it turns out.
There have been a number of names that have been connected to the Braves' quest for a new shortstop with Bo Bichette being probably the most popular and obvious one. However, Bichette can't defend and is going to be prohibitively expensive on a number of levels. Instead, it sounds like Atlanta is currently scouring the trade market with Braves insider Mark Bowman revealing on Wednesday that Atlanta has inquired about a Mauricio Dubon trade with the Astros.
To say that Dubon as an alternative is underwhelming may be an understatement.
As noted in this story, the Braves are looking at both the free agent and trade markets for shortstops. Astros two-time Gold Gove SS Mauricio Dubon is among those they’ve inquired about via trade. Adding someone like Dubon would likely necessitate the acquisition of another bat https://t.co/flw7PT3krd
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) November 19, 2025
Braves Rumors: Atlanta has touched base on a Mauricio Dubon trade, but that would be admitting defeat
Look, Dubon has some things going for him. He can play basically any position on the field and has won a pair of Gold Gloves as a utility player in Houston. If the Braves were targeting him as a Swiss Army knife type of player that gets some starts that are match-up dependent, that would be an easy choice. It doesn't hurt that Alex Anthopoulos is very familiar with Astros GM Dana Brown from his time directing the Braves' scouting department.
The problem is that Dubon can't really hit. He isn't as bad as Allen who is a lineup black hole, but averaging a .677 OPS over the last three seasons and hitting seven home runs a season is not going to cut it. Atlanta may be willing to accept a small drop off in offense for good defense, but not that much. As Bowman also noted, the Braves would probably have to go out and add another bat if they acquired Dubon which is yet another added cost here.
For the moment, the odds are still best that the Braves will try and work things out with Kim despite Scott Boras being a potential hurdle. As we can see with their interest in Dubon as well as some of the other shortstop alternatives that have been floated, they may not have much choice other than to extend beyond their comfort zone.