Braves make several signings ahead of Friday nontender deadline

The Braves reached deals with infielder Mauricio Dubon, left-handed pitcher Joey Wentz and outfielder Eli White on one-year contracts ahead of Friday evening’s non-tender deadline.

Teams must decide whether they want to offer contracts to their arbitration-eligible players by the 6 p.m. deadline. Players who aren’t tendered contracts become free agents.

Wentz had a 4.92 ERA in 14 games (13 starts), striking out 64 and walking 23. The ERA undersells his contribution, though, as he had a 2.60 mark in his first seven games with the Braves, who were his third organization during the season. Wentz had some nice moments and provides an option as a starter or reliever.

White has been part of the organization the past three years, but he made his most substantial impact in 2025. He played in 105 games, hitting .234 with a .677 OPS. He earned his career highlight in August when he won MVP for his multihomer effort in the first MLB Speedway Classic in Bristol, Tennessee. White’s versatility — he can play all around the outfield and infield — provides valuable depth.

The recently acquired Dubon might have been nontendered by Houston, but the Astros dealt him to the Braves two days ago for another light-hitting shortstop in Nick Allen. Dubon adds to the bench and becomes a quality fallback option should the team fail to acquire a better shortstop. The Braves have been decimated by injuries over the past two years, so better reserves — like Dubon — can make a difference.

Infielder Vidal Brujan signed a one-year, split contract Thursday evening ahead of the deadline. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos had mentioned Brujan as a potential contributor at shortstop.

He hit .253 with a .616 OPS last season for the Cubs, Orioles and Braves. He had his most success in Atlanta, hitting .268 with a .679 over 23 games. He’ll compete for a bench spot in spring.