Wednesday was a busy day for the Atlanta Braves, as the club completed two transactions that addressed relevant areas of need on the roster.
1. The Braves Sign Raisel Iglesias to a 1-Year, $16M Deal
Just before 8 P.M. Eastern Time, the Braves announced that Raisel Iglesias would return on a 1-year, $16M deal - presumably to continue as the team's closer.
Outside of early in 2025, Iglesias has been absolutely dominant as a member of the Braves' bullpen. Although $16M is a higher Average Annual Value (AAV) than some pundits projected, the 1-year deal minimizes the risk to the Braves associated with a reliever who will be 36 years old on Opening Day. This is a move that addresses a prominent area of need for the Braves in 2026, mitigates the risk associated with aging and inherently volatile relief pitchers, and keeps a familiar face in the Atlanta clubhouse in advance of a season that will feature lots of new personnel - both on the diamond and in the dugout. Overall, a solid start to the Braves' efforts to re-tool the Major League roster and contend in 2026.
2. The Braves Trade INF Nick Allen to Astros, Receive INF Mauricio Dubón
Even after announcing the Iglesias, the Braves were not finished reconstructing the roster. At 9:05 P.M. Eastern Time, the team announced that it had traded infielder Nick Allen to the Houston Astros in exchange for Infielder Mauricio Dubón.
While Nick Allen played Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop for the Braves in 2025, he also exhibited an inability to produce any offense. In 2025, he accumulated a Weighted Runs Created (wRC+) of 53...47% below league average. Meanwhile, Dubón has a greater range of positional flexibility in Atlanta. Other than pitcher and catcher, he played every position for the Astros at some point last season, with top-tier defensive prowess across the diamond. As MLB.com's Mark Bowman writes:
"How good is Dubón defensively? He tied for MLB’s sixth-highest fielding run value (+17) despite making just 104 starts on defense in 2025. He also had a FRV of +6 at shortstop, despite making just 33 appearances at the position. ...Dubón won the American League Gold Glove Award for utility players in 2023 and 2025."Mark Bowman, MLB.com
Dubón's potential at the plate is also much higher than Allen's. While his career wRC+ is only 85 (15% below league average), he accrued a wRC+ of at least 94 in 2019, 2020, and 2023. His ceiling seems to be a league-average bat - a pinnacle that neither Orlando Arcia nor Nick Allen ever attained while playing shortstop for the Braves.
In Dubón, the Braves have acquired a potential shortstop who maintains a high defensive standard, while also raising the bar for what happens in the batter's box.
What's Next for the Braves this Offseason?
We don't know Atlanta's budget for the present offseason, but it's safe to assume that Iglesias' $16M will be the largest AAV allocated to the bullpen. Moving forward, look for Alex Anthopolous to add lower-cost bullpen arms to complement the stability the Braves' closer brings to high-leverage situations.
The acquisition of Dubón - who is entering his final year of salary arbitration - would seem to signal that the Braves don't expect to compete in the open market for the services of Bo Bichette or Ha-Seong Kim.
The Braves still need starting pitching depth, but the fact that both of these early transactions have been short-term, one-year commitments might indicate that the Braves won't end up signing a free agent to a long-term deal. Instead, expect the Braves to utilize the trade market to bolster the starting rotation.
Finally, to bolster the performance of the batting order, don't be surprised if the Braves add an offensive weapon who can rotate between designated hitter and one of the corner outfield spots.
We're just getting started in the 2025-2026 offseason, but Atlanta's early transactions have given us a clue about what the Braves might do next - and what they won't.