Now that November is here, the Braves’ offseason is finally starting to move. After making the expected option calls on Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies, Atlanta spent the last few days in a holding pattern, waiting to see whether it could lock up any of its pending free agents before they reached the open market. Starting Monday, that wait ends.
Free agency opens at 5 PM EST, and the Braves are set to let Mauricio Dubon, Raisel Iglesias, and Tyler Mahle, among others, hit the market. In baseball, free agency becomes official five days after the World Series ends, so teams can begin negotiating and signing eligible players at that point. With a lockout expected to begin at the start of December, the pace could get strange in a hurry, but signings and trades should start popping up soon.
The weekend also brought the first wave of award news, and Atlanta came away with two Gold Gloves. Matt Olson and Mauricio Dubon both won, giving the Braves a pair of winners from a group that also included Chris Sale and Michael Harris II among the finalists.
Dubon has been a familiar name in the utility Gold Glove conversation for years, and Olson entered the year as the clear favorite at first base. Michael Harris II had a strong case in center field, but he ran into Pete Crow-Armstrong, who put together one of the better defensive seasons in baseball history in 2026.
There was also a quieter development in the Arizona Fall League, where Isaiah Drake put together his best stretch yet. He had not drawn much attention compared with some of the other Braves prospects in the league, aside from his standout sprint speed numbers, but that changed this past week.
Drake landed on MLB’s AFL standout performers list after going 7-for-10 with two walks and a homer. His home run was no fluke, either; it left the bat at 102.4 MPH and traveled 403 feet. Even so, it was his speed that did much of the heavy lifting during the week and remains his loudest tool as he heads into a pivotal 2027 season.
In Other News...
Braves Add A Familiar Depth Option As Bench Picture Stays Unsettled
The Braves have added a familiar utility option to the organizational mix, signing infielder Vidal Brujn to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Gwinnett. Brujn brings plenty of big league experience for a depth move, having appeared in 271 major league games since 2021 across six teams, and he gives Atlanta another versatile infield name to keep in the pipeline.
For a bench picture that still looks unsettled, the move makes sense as the Braves keep sorting through their infield depth and possible spring options. Brujn could also get a look in Spring Training as a non-roster player, which would give the club a better read on where he fits while the rest of the roster picture continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Prospect Isaiah Drake Is Giving Fans Another Reason To Watch
Isaiah Drake keeps turning heads in the Arizona Fall League, and his latest showing gave Braves fans another reason to keep an eye on Glendale. In a back-and-forth game against Peoria, Drake was a constant presence at the plate while Tate Southisene and Owen Carey also got into the action for the Desert Dogs, with Tyler LaPorte and Logan Samuels handling work on the mound.
The Desert Dogs came out on top 9-8, and the box score had plenty of Braves-related notes to sort through. LaPorte and Samuels each delivered scoreless innings, giving the club some needed stability in a game that stayed tight throughout, while Drakes day stood out as one of the more encouraging individual performances on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Defense Just Earned A National Stamp Of Approval
Defense has been one of the quieter strengths around the Braves, and now it has a national seal of approval. Matt Olson and Mauricio Dubn were both honored with Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for their work in the 2026 season, giving Atlanta a pair of recognized defenders who made their value felt in different ways across the field.
Olson added another Gold Glove at first base, while Dubn was rewarded for his versatility as a utility player, a reminder that the Braves defensive profile has not rested on one spot or one style. The recognition also puts Atlanta back in a familiar place among the leagues best gloves, with the club now waiting to see whether this kind of all-around excellence can keep stacking up in the seasons ahead. [Read more 🡒]