2. Adrian Gonzalez
Remember the previously mentioned trade that sent Matt Kemp to Los Angeles? Gonzalez was actually the biggest name return for the Braves in that trade, but he also spent the least amount of time with Atlanta of any player on this list.
Coming off his sixth season with the Dodgers, Gonzalez was traded to the Braves on December 16, 2017 as part of the multi-player deal, but was DFA’d by Atlanta on the same day.
The five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove award winner was released by the Braves two days later on December 18, 2017. He then signed with the Mets about a month later for the 2018 season, and this is where he last played at the major league level.
1. Ryan Howard
A former NL MVP, Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star, and one of the greatest players in Philadelphia Phillies history, did you know that one of the final teams that Howard played for in his career was the Braves?
Drafted by the Phillies in 2001, Howard spent every year of his professional career with Philadelphia from 2001-16 before electing free agency at the conclusion of the 2016 season. After remaining unsigned into the 2017 season, the Braves signed Howard to a minor league deal on April 6, 2017 and assigned the then 37-year-old first baseman to Triple-A Gwinnett after time in extended spring training.
Howard only appeared in only 11 games at Gwinnett during the 2017 season, going 7-for-38 offensively, and was released on May 8, 2017. Howard eventually spent a similar number of games in Triple-A of the Rockies organization later that season, and officially retired on July 14, 2019.
In conclusion, here are a few additional names you may have forgotten spent time in the Atlanta Braves organization in recent years: Nick Swisher, Jason Kipnis, Jake Lamb, Scott Schebler, Carl Edwards Jr, Jhoulys Chacin, Trevor Cahill, Ross Detwiler. All part of the long history of this franchise.