As for the Dubón acquisition, it’s best to wait until the end of the offseason to project the value of this move.
From an immediate standpoint, this is a win. Allen’s value is limited to the great defense he provides at short. For about $4 million more, the Braves have gained a two-time Gold Glove Award winner who can provide plus defense at every infield and outfield position.
How is Dubón offensively? Well, let’s just say he’s good enough that I won’t be using the same Rafael Belliard comp that I gave to Allen heading into last season.
Will Dubón be the Braves’ primary shortstop in 2026? This seemingly depends on a few different variables. If the price for Ha-Seong Kim proves to be right, then it might make sense to sign him and have Dubón fill a super-utility role.
Unless you’re among the few who would be willing to put Bo Bichette’s glove at short on a daily basis, Kim is the only attractive shortstop on the free-agent market. There might be trade possibilities. If the Yankees move on from Anthony Volpe, he could benefit from a change of scenery.
But if the Braves don’t find a shortstop, Dubón seems capable of filling the role on a daily basis.
Dubón has won a Gold Glove Award as a utility player two of the past three seasons. The 31-year-old veteran was tied for the sixth-highest fielding run value (17) among all MLB players this past season.
Maybe more impressively, Dubón had the sixth-highest FRV (6) among all MLB shortstops in 2025. Why is sixth-best impressive? Well, this is a cumulative stat, and Dubón played just 206 innings as a shortstop. That’s 856 fewer innings than Astros starting shortstop Jeremy Peña, whose FRV was also 6.
Too small of a sample size? Well, Dubón is tied for the 15th-highest FRV (11) among all shortstops going back to 2021, despite 55 players logging more innings at the position during this span.
Dubón will be more than capable of playing shortstop if that’s the route the Braves go. Will he hit enough to be an everyday player? He was nearly an average offensive performer in 2023, when he had a 97 OPS+. That number has slipped to 87 and 78 the past two seasons.