Mauricio Dubón addition now looms large for Braves
The Braves’ injury woes resurfaced a few months before opening day, even a few weeks before reporting for spring training.
Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim sustained a hand injury while in Korea that required him to undergo surgery Sunday to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger. He’s expected to need four to five months to recover.
The injury will cost him a significant portion of the first half. The four- to five-month timetable accounts for his ramp-up period and rehab assignment, so the earliest he’d return is around mid-May.
It’s a massive loss. The Braves have long valued Kim. They tried to acquire him at the trade deadline last summer when he was mired in a lost season (because of injuries) with the Rays.
They claimed him on waivers with around a month remaining because they wanted to get intel on him ahead of his potential free agency. The claim proved valuable, as Kim was successful and comfortable in Atlanta, giving the Braves an edge as he fielded offers from rival clubs.
Ultimately, Kim re-signed with the Braves on a one-year, $20 million deal. It allowed him to reestablish his value and reenter the market next winter, though his effort is off to a difficult start. The Braves, meanwhile, valued Kim to the point that they deemed $20 million a fair price.
So losing him for significant time is a blow. What will they do in his absence?
The answer is obvious: The Braves acquired utility man Mauricio Dubón from Houston before the nontender deadline earlier this winter. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos and manager Walt Weiss endorsed Dubón as a starting-caliber shortstop should the team fail to acquire an alternative.
“Our underlying data on (Dubón) at shortstop is good and strong,” Anthopoulos said of the veteran, who’s started 81 games at the position. Dubón played over 206 innings at shortstop last season, which was his most in a season.
This is where improving depth comes in.
Dubón is a true Renaissance man. He’s won consecutive Gold Gloves as a utilityman, appearing at every position except pitcher and catcher. He’s a career .257/.295/.374 hitter, so he also isn’t an offensive zero while providing that defensive value.
The Braves’ past two shortstops, Orlando Arcia and Nick Allen, were excellent defensively but greatly hurt the lineup with their offensive deficiencies.
Dubón’s addition was a strong boost to the Braves’ bench versatility, but he also covers for unfortunate developments like Sunday’s. And that’s why the Braves are paying him $6.1 million for his services. After having their depth tested to the max in consecutive seasons, the Braves invested in a super sub.
It will be on Dubón to stabilize shortstop until Kim reappears. The Braves could still add further veteran insurance, but given what they’re paying Dubón, it makes sense to believe in him handling the job for roughly six weeks.
The Braves’ pitchers and catchers report to North Port, Florida, for spring training Feb. 10. The first full-squad workout is Feb. 15, with the team starting Grapefruit League play six days later. The Braves open the regular season March 27 against the Royals at Truist Park.
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
