Braves kick off offseason with two significant moves

The Braves are now one of the few teams that have made a significant acquisition this offseason, kicking off the winter by re-signing Raisel Iglesias and trading for Astros super-utility piece Mauricio Dubon.

According to Francys Romero, Iglesias was a sought-after target, drawing interest from the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Mets, and Orioles. He ends up staying in Atlanta on a one-year, $16 million deal. It’s a slightly higher AAV than most people expected, but that’s par for the course with one-year contracts.

Outside of a rough couple of months to start the 2025 campaign, Iglesias has been one of the best closers in baseball since he first put on a Braves uniform in 2022. He posted a 0.34 ERA over his first 28 appearances with Atlanta, then recorded a 2.75 ERA in 2023, 1.95 in 2024, and a 1.25 ERA over his final 45 outings of 2025. Getting him back is massive for a bullpen that has a litany of questions. Now, we wait to see if Alex Anthopoulos has something bigger up his sleeve or if the plan is simply to roll with Iglesias as the closer again in 2026.

Shortly after announcing the Iglesias deal, the Braves acquired Mauricio Dubon from the Astros in exchange for Nick Allen.

It’s a bit of an odd trade as a straight-up swap, because on paper, Nick Allen is essentially a poor man’s Dubon. Both are light-hitting infielders, but Dubon brings a little more pop, strikes out less, and can play everywhere on the diamond — a huge plus for a Braves team that has dealt with a ton of injuries over the last two seasons.

Dubon, a two-time Gold Glove winner, is certainly capable of being the Braves’ starting shortstop next season and would be an upgrade over Allen. He should at least relieve some of the stress Anthopoulos feels about the position, but I don’t imagine he’s the club’s ideal long-term answer. They’ll likely be looking for something bigger as the offseason continues, but this move gives them more flexibility as they navigate the winter.

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