Atlanta Braves Top 5 worst trades of all-time (deadline or otherwise)
By Josh Mathews
3. July 31, 2007
The Atlanta Braves traded Beau Jones (minors), Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia to the Texas Rangers. Received Ron Mahay and Mark Teixeira.
What we got:
Getting Mark Teixeira was a big deal. From the trade deadline in 2007 to the deadline in 2008 when he was dealt, he played in 154 games, hit 37 home runs and drove in 134 runs while batting .295.
Those are big boy numbers, for sure, and had they been in the same season, it would have been one of the better individual offensive seasons in Atlanta Braves history.
Ron Mahay enjoyed a 14-year career as a fireman, and was good down the stretch after his acquisition, posting a 2.25 ERA over 30 appearances for the Atlanta Braves.
He signed with Kansas City for the 2008 season.
What we gave up:
Beau Jones was negligible in this deal, as he ended up reaching Triple-A after the trade, and never reached the big leagues. He was, however, a first round choice of the Atlanta Braves in 2005.
Elvis Andrus is probably the biggest boo-boo of the deal. He’s collected 1,653 hits, two-all star appearances, and stolen no less than 21 bases in a season where he’s been fully healthy.
Defensively, he hasn’t been a gold glover, but his athleticism and bat more than overcomes his penchant for errors.
In 2017, he powered up, smashing 20 home runs and stealing 25 bases for what was the best overall season of his career.
The 2010 Rookie of the Year was Neftali Feliz. He made 70 appearances, notched 40 saves, and registered a 2.73 ERA.
From 2009-2014, he was one of the best relievers in the American League, notching a 2.53 ERA and a total of 87 saves.
Feliz had Tommy John surgery in 2013 and was never really the same. He did manage a solid 2016 with the Pirates.
He started out in the rotation, then moved to the bullpen, but Matt Harrison really found his stride as a starter in 2011 where he won 14 games and posted a 3.39 ERA.
In 2012, he was an All-Star and won 18 games and logged 213 innings. It looked like the Rangers had found a rock solid starter, maybe even an ace.
However, injuries ultimately did Harrison in, as he was only able to make nine starts after his magical 2012 campaign.
The team seamstress’s nightmare, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, was huge prospect in his own right. The big bodied (6-4, 235) catcher was largely hyped because of his immense offensive potential.
After the trade, he never played more than 84 games in a season for Texas, due to injury. However, he did eventually find a stride.
From 2011-2013, Salty averaged 18 home runs and 60 RBI for the Boston Red Sox. Most recently, he posted a solid campaign in 2016 for the Detroit Tigers as a part-time player, batting .284 with 12 home runs.
Analysis:
When you examine this trade, we traded who would become one of the better shortstops in the league in Elvis Andrus, an excellent reliever for four seasons in Neftali Feliz, a starter that was an All-Star in Matt Harrison, and Salty, who largely, turned out to be a bit of a bust.
We got one season of Tex, and what’s more is the anemic return we got for Tex when we traded him. Don’t worry, that’s next.