Atlanta Braves utility man Mauricio Dubon was exactly what the team hoped he would be in 2026. Dubon came through in clutch moments multiple times and won a Gold Glove after an impressive season. His offense dipped a bit in the second half of the season, but there's no denying he will be sought after in the offseason. The crazy part is that Dubon is the best shortstop free agent available on the market.
That's great for him, but it could spell disaster for the Braves. The shortstop options after him aren't ideal at all. Atlanta would likely return him in a utility role with a focus on shortstop, but they'll have to pay up.
Braves beat writer Jesus Cano recently discussed what that cost may look like. He compared Dubon with two previous utility players' contracts, and they aren't cheap. Those two players are Chris Taylor and Tommy Edman.
Salary comparisons with past utility players could spell disaster for a reunion between Mauricio Dubon and the Braves
Taylor signed a four-year, $60 million extension with the Dodgers in 2021. Edman landed a five-year, $74 million extension with the Dodgers in 2024. They were 31 and 29, respectively, when they signed those deals.
Dubon is 32 years old, and that will make a multi-year extension difficult to navigate. Are the Braves desperate enough to add a shortstop that they overpay for? Dubon is a great clubhouse presence, and Alex Anthopoulos has made it known that he values that in the past.
With those salary comps, that would put Dubon at around $15 million a year. That's more than double what he made in 2026. It's easy to make the argument that he may not be worth that amount. However, the Braves may have to pay out of their comfort zone if they want to keep him. Atlanta could look to lower the years on the deal at the higher value to make it slightly more comfortable.
Dubon benefitted from playing more often as he had one of the best seasons of his career. He had a .276/.321/.399 with 12 home runs, 28 doubles, 73 RBI, and a .720 OPS. But the Braves have to hope that this performance wasn't a fluke.
There's an argument to be made for either decision. But it's plain and simple: pay Dubon what he's worth or lose him and hope you can find a suitable replacement, whether that be internally or externally.
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