On that list were Mauricio Dubon and Raisel Iglesias, both of whom the Braves should be very interested in bringing back at the right price.
Mauricio Dubon
Jim Bowden’s contract projection: 2 years, $16 million
Given the numbers Dubon has posted over his career, $16 million over two years is probably a fair-ish deal. But this game isn’t always about numbers — even if that’s what the analytics freaks would have you believe. Teams around the league are going to value Dubon’s ability to fill in with Gold Glove defense literally all over the diamond, along with his championship pedigree.
Also important to remember: there’s no better time for Dubon to hit free agency. He doesn’t have an ounce of competition at shortstop, so any team looking for an upgrade will be calling his agent first, which is going to lead to a bidding war of sorts.
I don’t expect it to get out of hand, but Dubon has averaged more than 2.0 WAR over the last four seasons and is a beloved clubhouse presence who’ll do whatever it takes to win. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t get at least $20 million this offseason, maybe even closer to $30 million.
Raisel Iglesias
Jim Bowden’s contract projection: 1 year, $17 million
This projection is basically exactly what Iglesias signed for a year ago to stay with the Braves, bumping his salary by $1 million. Coming off the first All-Star appearance of his career in 2026, there very easily could be some teams interested at this price point.
Will the Braves be one of them? This feels like a situation where there’ll be mutual interest in Iglesias returning, but with Robert Suarez in the fold and Iglesias turning 37 next season, $17 million is a considerable commitment — even for just one year. I’m not saying the projection isn’t fair. I’d just be a little surprised if it were the Braves who signed him for that much.
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