This day in Braves history: Atlanta trades for Cincinnati Reds third baseman

On April 1, 2012, the Atlanta Braves made a notable trade just days before the start of that season. The club acquired third baseman Juan Francisco from the Cincinnati Reds, with right-handed pitching prospect J.J. Hoover going the other way in the deal.

At the time, this move also came just days after the Braves placed star third baseman Chipper Jones on the 15-day IL due to a knee injury, with Francisco taking over as the starter in his absence.

This day in Braves history: Atlanta acquires Juan Francisco from Reds

At the time, Francisco was coming off his third MLB season with the Reds in which he saw time across 31 games, slashing .258/.289/.452 with three home runs and 15 RBI. Across those three seasons from 2009-2011, Francisco appeared in a combined 81 games, slashing .284/.331/.450 with five home runs, 29 RBI, and a 0.8 WAR.

Once in Atlanta, Francisco would appear in a career-high 93 games during the 2012 season. Over that season, Francisco slashed .234/.278/.432 with a career-high nine home runs and 32 RBI, along with a 0.2 WAR.

After the 2012 season, Francisco would remain with the Braves for the first half of 2013, appearing in 35 games where he slashed .241/.287/.398 with five home runs and 16 RBI. Francisco's time in Atlanta would come to a close after those 35 games as he was DFA'd on May 30, 2013. He would later be traded to the Milwaukee Brewers days later in a deal that sent left-handed pitcher Thomas Keeling to Atlanta.

Across his time in Atlanta overall, Francisco appeared in 128 games combined between the 2012-2013 seasons. The third baseman slashed .237/.281/.420 during that span with 14 home runs and 48 RBI. His 128 games with the Braves were the most of any of the four teams he spent time with during his six-year MLB career.

More Braves News from House That Hank Built