Braves’ president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos told reporters that Mauricio Dubón could function as the team’s starting shortstop in 2026.

The versatile 31-year-old was plucked from the Astros on Wednesday in a swap for Nick Allen. While the team would be thrilled with his defense at the position, Dubón posted a troublesome .644 OPS in 398 plate appearances with the Astros during the 2025 season. It sounded like nothing more than posturing, saying that the team was comfortable with Dubón there if they’re somehow unable to upgrade the position over the remainder of the offseason. One alternative could be reuniting with Ha-Seong Kim who declined his $16 million player option at the end of the season and hit the open market.