MLB trade season is well underway.
It started Tuesday with smaller deals, before carrying over Wednesday with more impactful deals. That included a deal between the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros.
According to ESPN's MLB insider Jeff Passan, Atlanta sent shortstop Nick Allen to Houston in exchange for utilityman Mauricio Dubon. The move for the Braves comes just shortly after re-signing its elite closer Rasiel Iglesias to a one-year deal.
Allen spent the first three seasons of his career in Oakland before moving to Atlanta. Last season, he hit just.221, but it was his stellar defense that made him a mainstay in the Braves lineup for a majority of the season.
Dubon spent 3 1/2 seasons with the San Francisco Giants prior to the 2022 trade deadline when he was moved to the Astros. He's spent the last 3 1/2 season in Houston, posting.256/.292/.367 with a.657 OPS. Much like Allen, though, Dubon's stellar defense was often on display, as showcased by his two Gold Glove awards in the last three seasons.
The move between the two sides feels like nothing more than a sure-up of both rosters. Atlanta fills a much-needed offensive hole at shortstop, while Houston will have a defensive replacement option on its bench for the season. The trade for Dubon does, though, remove the Braves from any plans of re-signing shortstop Ha-Seong Kim to another contract.
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