Had it not been for Mauricio Dubon stepping up last season, the Braves would have been a disaster at shortstop.
The Braves signed Ha-Seong Kim in the offseason, but he suffered an injury before the season started. When he was healthy, he struggled. Dubon filled in at shortstop, but was also needed in the outfield at times.
Dubon is a free agent, and the Braves desperately need to add a star shortstop if they want to get back into the World Series. They have stars all over the roster, but shortstop is a clear area of need. One player they could target is Otto Lopez.
Lopez drew trade interest at the deadline, and he's a player plenty of teams could target. He was an All-Star this year, hitting .305 with a .786 OPS. Defensively, he ranked in the 98th percentile for outs above average. He is under club control through 2029, and the Miami Marlins have reportedly noted that they will at least listen to offers.
"Though the Marlins aren’t believed to be shopping Lopez or (Xavier) Edwards, neither player is considered untouchable," wrote the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. "If a team is willing to offer a lot in return, Miami would listen."
The Braves should go all in on trying to get Lopez. Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Michael Harris III, Drake Baldwin and Ozzie Albies are a great core of players. Adding Lopez could give them enough offense and defense to reach the World Series.
They would still need to add some pitching, but Lopez would fill a huge need. The Marlins will be looking for a haul, and could look for more if it's a division rival on the other side of the phone.