ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The Atlanta Braves on Friday tendered contracts to five players, including recently acquired utility player Mauricio Dubón.
The Braves also reached deals with outfielder Eli White and left-handed pitchers Joey Wentz and Jose Suarez on one-year contracts ahead of Friday evening’s non-tender deadline.
Left-hander Dylan Lee was tendered a contract, but the two sides did not reach an agreement. His salary for the upcoming season will likely be set through the arbitration process. The deadline to exchange salary figures is Jan. 8, and if no deal is reached by then, he is expected to proceed to an arbitration hearing.
Teams had to decide by Friday’s 6 p.m. deadline whether to offer contracts to their arbitration-eligible players. Anyone not tendered a contract became a free agent.
Lee, 31, perhaps was the most effective reliever the team had besides Iglesias, pitching to a 3.29 ERA across 68.1 innings, striking out 76 and walking 13. In fact, Lee has been a staple in Atlanta’s bullpen since 2022, pitching to a 2.82 ERA (1.07 WHIP) in 204.1 innings.
Atlanta, which acquired Dubón on Wednesday from the Houston Astros in exchange for shortstop Nick Allen, signed the two-time Gold Glove winner to a one-year, $6.1 million contract for 2026. Dubón, expected to be an essential bench piece and to play all over the field, will be a free agent once the season concludes.
White, 31, provided valuable depth this past season while hitting .234 with a .677 OPS. He’s been a part of the organization for the last three seasons and can play all over the outfield and infield.
Wentz, 28, recorded a 4.92 ERA in 64 innings (13 starts), striking out 64 and walking 23. He pitched well at times and proved to be a valuable depth option among the pitching staff as it dealt with numerous injuries throughout the season. Suarez, 27, recorded a 1.86 ERA in 19.1 innings with Atlanta this past season.
Atlanta also signed infielder Vidal Brujan to a split contract on Thursday evening, giving the team another option at shortstop. He hit .253 with a .616 OPS last season for the Cubs, Orioles and Braves, and will compete for a bench spot in spring.
Right-hander Alek Manoah was non-tendered and is now a free agent. He was picked up at the end of the season and never made an appearance with Atlanta.
It’s been a busy week for the Braves. In addition to the Dubón acquisition, Atlanta re-signed closer Raisel Iglesias to a one-year, $16 million deal after a sensational finish to the 2026 season. He’ll assume closer duties and immediately addresses one of the team’s biggest offseason needs.