Most everything Alex Anthopoulos touched this offseason has turned to gold through the first 34 games, but there was one move in particular that never made much sense — at least from the other side’s perspective — and is starting to look like highway robbery as the calendar flips to May.
The Braves’ first significant move of the offseason was the acquisition of Mauricio Dubón. It wasn’t exactly a flashy addition that generated headlines. In fact, there was probably a decent portion of the fan base that looked at the Opening Day lineup and thought, “Who the hell is starting at shortstop?”
They know now.
Dubón has been vital to the Braves’ 24–10 start, filling in at shortstop for the injured Ha-Seong Kim while hitting .274 with 12 extra-base hits through his first 32 games with a tomahawk across his chest. Just as importantly, he’s already proving to be a valuable presence in the clubhouse, most recently sticking up for Austin Riley amid the worst start of his career.
Mauricio Dubón scored on Austin Riley's sac fly that tied the game 6-6 in the 8th. Said Dubón: "People bashing Austin, but f*cking had a great f*cking at-bat right there. He's been grinding out here, coming in working every day. Pretty awesome watching him have a game like this."
— Chad Bishop (@MrChadBishop) May 2, 2026
That’s the kind of teammate guys want to go to war with night in and night out over a 162-game season.
But what makes this move even more impressive is the cost it took to acquire Mauricio Dubón. He’s making just $6.1 million this season — a figure he’s already justified through one month — and the Astros were willing to move him in exchange for Nick Allen.
This is no slight to Allen, who was a magician defensively for the Braves a season ago, but his lack of offense makes him difficult to rely on as an everyday option. Dubón is miles ahead with the bat, and even defensively, his ability to play virtually every position on the diamond arguably gives him the edge there as well.
This is one of those trades that made very little sense for the Astros at the time and looks even worse now. Maybe it was Dana Brown — a former Braves executive — doing his old boss a favor, but Atlanta is clearly reaping the rewards of a massive miscalculation.
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(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire)
