The Braves are wrapping up a three-game series at Wrigley Field on Tuesday with the Chicago Cubs. It has been a series filled with disappointment and excitement.
To celebrate the rich history of the Atlanta Braves this season, we have been reviewing players who have played for the Braves and their opponents. This time we will check out who has played for two of the most historic franchises in baseball. Let’s look back on three players who donned a Braves and Cubs jersey in their careers.
As always, there are several options we could choose, but we like to stay on the obscure side and bring back memories you may have forgotten. Dansby Swanson is the latest member on this list, but you may have forgotten these three players below.
Trevor Cahill
Trevor Cahill was an All-Star in 2010 and finished 9th in American League Cy Young Award voting. This is most certainly not the pitcher Braves fans remember during his time with Atlanta.
Cahill joined the Braves in 2015 during a rebuild and his veteran presence was wanted to bridge the gap while younger talent developed. He appeared in 15 games with Atlanta, starting three of those outings, where he went 0-3 with a 7.52 ERA. This performance led the Braves to release Cahill, who was later picked up by the Cubs.
Between his short time with the Cubs in 2015 and all of 2016, Cahill pitched in 61 games including one start, and posted a 5-4 record with a shockingly low ERA (2.61).
Jonathan Lucroy
Jonathan Lucroy is another name who had an outstanding career overall, mainly with the Brewers. He has two All-Star Game appearances along with a Top-5 MVP finish under his belt. However, later in his career, he bounced around quite a bit. The Cubs and the Braves were both part of his late career journey.
Lucroy was with Atlanta in 2021 and only appeared in two games. He at least did record a hit in a Braves uniform, going 1-for-5 at the plate.
Jonathan Lucroy RBI single in his @Braves debut ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/zCtjODzm2J
— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) July 7, 2021
In a very similar fashion, Lucroy spent the last part of 2019 with the Cubs where he only played in 27 games. Over this stretch, he went 10-for-53 with one homer.
Arodys Vizcaíno
With the Braves in 2011 and then again from 2015 to 2019, Arodys Vizcaino was a flamethrowing closer. While Atlanta was not exactly competitive for the bulk of his stint with the team, Vizcaino posted some impressive numbers. He went 13-11 while racking up 50 saves to go along with a 2.95 ERA. He also struck out 214 batters in 189.1 innings pitched.
In 2012 the Braves traded Vizcaino and Jaye Chapman to the Chicago Cubs. The team acquired Paul Maholm and Reed Johnson in return for their services. Vizcaino only pitched five innings for the Cubs in the 2014 season and posted an ERA of 5.40, striking out four batters. He would return to the team in 2015 but spent the first 80 games of that season suspended due to using PEDs.
He certainly had more success in Atlanta but his time with the team ended after 2019 and he wouldn't pitch again in Major League Baseball until 2022 with the Kansas City Royals. He appeared in 5.2 innings with a 6.35 ERA and hasn't stepped on an MLB diamond since.
Did any of these players surprise you? It's always fun to walk down memory lane and remember how many players came through the Braves organization. Be sure to join us next series as we break down players who featured in the Braves and Pirates organizations.