4 Atlanta Braves trade heists people don't talk about enough

No team is perfect when it comes to trades and the Atlanta Braves are a prime example. Fans don't have to think hard about some notable Atlanta misses on the trade market and to this day, mentioning names like Mark Teixeira, JD Drew/Adam Wainwright, Hector Olivera, and Nate McLouth is a good way to get Braves fans riled up all over again.

However, the Braves have largely done very well when it comes to making trades. The most obvious example is the John Smoltz trade that is widely regarded as the best trade in franchise history, but there is also the clear example of the 2021 trade deadline which is pretty much the biggest reason why the Braves won the World Series.

There are some other Braves' heists from years past that don't get the press they deserve as we are here to remedy that.

Here are 4 of the biggest trade heists in Atlanta Braves history

The goal here isn't to make a list of the best trades in Braves franchise history. If that were true, the John Smoltz/Doyle Alexander trade would be at the top. Instead, the purpose is to focus on some really great moves that tend to be forgotten when thinking about how great the Braves' end of the deal was. There is no particular order to these moves as all have their merits, but they are all significant moves that look VERY lopsided with the benefit of hindsight.

Braves acquire Fred McGriff

• Date: July 18, 1993
• Trade Details: Braves acquire 1B Fred McGriff and Padres received OF Vince Moore, OF Melvin Nieves, and RHP Donnie Elliot

We start with the Crime Dog himself. The Braves traded for McGriff during the 1993 season at the trade deadline when they were in desperate need of an offensive difference maker. McGriff was already well-established in the league from his time with the Blue Jays and Padres and immediately gave Atlanta's lineup a big boost. Over the next four seasons with the Braves, McGriff slashed .291/.366/.505 and cracked 111 homers as part of a Hall of Fame career.

As for what the Braves gave up to land McGriff, the answer is not much at all. Vince Moore never made it to the big leagues and both Nieves and Elliott saw limited time in the majors. This is definitely a deal San Diego probably wishes they could have back, but it worked out great for the Braves.