It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Dodgers love a man with versatility.
From Miguel Rojas to Kiké Hernández to Tommy Edman to Chris Taylor, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts loves a Swiss Army knife.
Perhaps that’s why Bleacher Report writer Kerry Miller predicts the Dodgers will sign the top available utility man in free agency: Mauricio Dubón.
Dubón is arguably the best defensive utility player in all of baseball and has two straight Gold Glove Awards to show for it. He also won in 2023 as a member of the Houston Astros.
This past season, his first with the Atlanta Braves, the 32-year-old Honduran logged time in left field, center field and at shortstop, among other positions. According to MLB.com, he added a +3 Fielding Run Value at shortstop for the top team in the National League East.
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Saying Dubón is versatile is an understatement. He has tremendous range, a strong arm and is never out of place on defense. His flexibility and instincts are reminiscent of the newly departed Rojas, a player who Roberts raved about over the past four seasons.
Dubón is an obvious candidate for the Dodgers both for Roberts’ affinity for players of his ilk and the hole left in Rojas’ (and potentially Kiké Hernández’s) wake.
“The Dodgers have a need for an established asset who can play virtually anywhere,” Miller writes in his “Educated Guesses” column. “The big unknown with Dubón is whether he’d prefer to remain in a super-sub role or if he’s looking for a spot where he would serve as the team’s primary (insert position here).”
The Dodgers could, theoretically, offer a starting role at second base, previously platooned by Tommy Edman primarily with Rojas, Hernandez, and Alex Freeland in 2026, getting spot starts. Dubón could become the everyday starter at second base, or remain an almost-everyday starter by filling in occasionally for Max Muncy at third base, Teoscar Hernández in left field, or Andy Pages in center field. Extra insurance for Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman is also a good thing.
But while he’s a dynamite defender, can he hit well enough to avoid the same pitfalls as Edman?
In eight Major League seasons, Dubón’s batting average is .261 with an OPS+ of 88. This past season was a borderline career year for Dubón, who hit .276 for the Braves with a 98 OPS+ and a career-high 12 home runs. His career WAR per Baseball Reference is 9.9, including a tied-for-career-high 2.7 in 2026.
He’s a good contact hitter who, according to Baseball America, “seldom walks but doesn’t strike out,” and he puts the ball in play often enough to make up for his lack of pop.
How much will Mauricio Dubón make in free agency?
Unlike Bleacher Report, MLB Trade Rumors predicts that Dubón will re-sign with the Braves on a two-year, $18 million deal.
Dubón turns 33 in April, making 2027 his age-33 season. Teams are typically wary of long commitments to players that age, so a shorter deal is more likely.
For the Braves, bringing back Dubón makes a lot of sense. Ha-Seong Kim is also a free agent, and he struggled mightily after returning from injury.
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Three of the Braves’ top 10 prospects are middle infielders who could potentially make it to the bigs by 2028, so Dubón makes sense as a stopgap with elite defense in the interim.
Will the Dodgers break the bank for Dubón?
For the Dodgers, he would be more of a luxury than a necessity. Kiké Hernández is still more likely to return than not, and he offers a close approximation to what the team will miss with Rojas no longer in the clubhouse.
But if any team can blow away a free agent with a major money overture, it’s L.A., and if Doc wants Dubón, Andrew Friedman and company will make some calls.
The Braves, however, will likely do whatever they can to keep him from answering.
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