Red Sox Free Agency Wish List: Why Mauricio Dubón Should Reunite With His Original Team This Offseason

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Following their Wild Card Series sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox will be spending the offseason with the hopes of improving their offense. A team that dealt with several injuries along with inconsistency across not just the starting lineup, but also their bench, could turn to a number of options. And while it may not be what some fans are looking for as a huge splash, signing a player such as Mauricio Dubón could be something that moves the offense in the right direction.

Dubón, a utility player that has some experience defensively at every position besides catcher, would be the perfect replacement on the roster for Isiah Kiner-Falefa. While slightly older than him, Dubón would provide an upgrade in the offensive department. This season with the Atlanta Braves, he slashed .276/.321/.399 with 28 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases.

He isn’t known for his power; his 12 home runs were a career high and just the second time in his career where he reached double digit home runs. However, where Dubón excels is his bat-to-ball skills, a trait that Craig Breslow has taken a liking to when it comes to position players. His latest draft class had several players known for their contact ability.

This year, Dubón had one of the best whiff rates in the league, failing to make contact on just 15.3% of his swings. Add to it an elite strikeout rate of just 11.8% and he'd be a great fit in Red Sox lineup that was at its best while focusing on putting the ball in play and moving runners along the basepath.

Along with that, Dubón has shown a tendency to hit fastballs, something the Red Sox struggled mightily with during the playoffs. Since his debut in 2019, there has been only just one season where he had 100 at-bats against fastballs and hit under .260, that coming in 2022 when he hit just .220 against them. L he hit .286 and slugged .370 against them in 322 at-bats.

Another offensive trait that could be appealing is his pull-air rate. He saw that number drop to 15.5% with the Braves, but for his career it has sat right around 16%. That number could increase once he gets into the Red Sox hitting lab, like how Willson Contreras committed to pulling the ball more after coming over from the St. Louis Cardinals. The slight tweak could turn him into a batter that would pelt the Green Monster with wall-ball doubles.

More importantly, Dubón is a savant with the glove in his hand. Described as one of the best utility players in the game, his defensive versatility could provide Chad Tracy and the Red Sox with an endless number of lineup possibilities. He was nominated for a Gold Glove this year, after all, and has one two throughout his career as a utility man.

For a team like the Red Sox that has made the thought of run prevention a big part of their roster construction, Dubón would fit perfectly as another Gold Glove-caliber player who is decent with the bat. And with them possibly being close to what they’re willing to spend without knowing if a salary cap will be implemented, Dubón could slide into the budget rather easily. Last season, he made just $6.1 million with the Braves.

While early in the offseason, it’s been projected that Dubón could make around $8 million for 2027. Some experts, such as the Athletic’s Jim Bowden, feel that a deal in the area of two years and between $16-18 million could be what he receives. To put into perspective of how good that contract would be, last year the team paid Kiner-Falefa $6 million for 1.1 fWAR. Dubón on the same contract put up 2.4 fWAR and he stayed healthy for the entire season. That’s not to say Kiner-Falefa was not worth the money, but if Dubón could replicate his 2.4 fWAR for about $8 million, it would be a bargain for the Red Sox.

If Breslow could bring in a highly regarded utility defender with great bat-to-ball skills, it would immediately raise the floor and ceiling of the team’s bench. It would also create a full circle for Dubón, as he was drafted by the Red Sox back in 2013 before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2016 for Tyler Thornburg.