Braves Shake Up Roster: Iglesias Returns and Dubón Deal Sparks Major Speculation

Late Wednesday night, the Atlanta Braves made a couple of savvy moves that not only shored up their bullpen but also bolstered their defensive versatility. First off, they locked down their reliable closer, Raisel Iglesias, with a fresh one-year contract worth $16 million—a smart bet on consistency at the back end of the bullpen. Then, in a tidy trade with the Houston Astros, the Braves brought in Mauricio Dubón, a true diamond in the rough, with his second Gold Glove under his belt and an ability to shine across multiple infield and outfield spots. Meanwhile, Houston got infielder Nick Allen in return, a player with solid defensive chops himself. It’s clear Atlanta’s playing the long game here, blending experience with flexibility as they gear up for next season. LEARN MORE

The Atlanta Braves upgraded their defense and stabilized the back of their bullpen with a pair of transactions late Wednesday.

First, the Braves announced they’d retained closer Raisel Iglesias on a one-year, $16 million deal. Then they announced they’d acquired Gold Glove utility player Mauricio Dubón in a trade with the Houston Astros. The Braves sent infielder Nick Allen to Houston in return for Dubón.

The deal with Iglesias ensures they’ll retain their closer of the past three seasons. Iglesias was a free agent whom Yahoo Sports ranked as the 45th-best player available on the market.

Raisel Iglesias has a one-year, $16 million deal to remain with the Braves.

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What Iglesias offers

Iglesias, who will be 36 next season, had his worst season in Atlanta, with a 3.21 ERA, 73 strikeouts and 16 walks in 67 1/3 innings pitched. He tallied 29 saves.

Iglesias had posted a 1.95 ERA and 34 saves in 2024 and a 2.75 ERA and 33 saves in 2023 in his two full seasons with Atlanta. But much of Iglesias’ relative struggles in 2025 came at the front end of the campaign.

Iglesias allowed six home runs across his first 25 appearances last season and had a 6.75 ERA in early June. He finished the season from there with a 1.25 ERA over the course of 43 1/3 innings while allowing just two more home runs. Atlanta’s surely hoping that’s the version of Iglesias who shows up in 2026.

Why Braves traded for Dubón

In Dubón, the Braves obtain a versatile utility player who just secured his second Gold Glove.

Dubón, 31, is capable of playing at a high level in the infield and outfield. He played 15 games or more at each of second base, shortstop, third base and in the outfield last season in 133 games and thrived across the board, earning his second Gold Glove in three seasons.

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At the plate, Dubón slashed .241/.289/.355 with 7 home runs, 33 RBI and 3 stolen bases in 2025. He’s a career .257/.295/.374 hitter across seven MLB seasons.

In Allen, the Astros acquire a four-season veteran who was a third-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. Allen, 27, slashed .221/.284/.251 with 22 RBI and 8 stolen bases in 135 games played primarily at shortstop. He did not hit a home run and has nine for his career. He was a Gold Glove finalist at shortstop.