During the tenures of general managers John Schuerholz and Frank Wren, the Atlanta Braves have never been gun-shy about executing a trade they think can help them win a World Series.
Being a Braves fan for as long as I can remember, I have seen several players come and go from this great organization.
Many players, like Andruw Jones and Marcus Giles, saw their careers tail off after leaving the Braves.
However, there are some players who have either continued or even exceeded their production from when they played in Atlanta.
For instance, Jason Schmidt ended up becoming a three-time All-Star with the San Francisco Giants. Also, Mark Teixeira was runner-up for the American League MVP in 2009 while helping the New York Yankees win a World Series.
In 2012, there is no shortage of former Braves making a big impact for their current team.
Here are the top five former Braves in 2012.
Note: Players must have played in the majors for the Braves, eliminating former Braves prospects such as Matt Harrison and Elvis Andrus from contention.
Mariners starter Kevin Millwood has been a big surprise in 2012 for Seattle.
Although his record is just 3-6, Millwood has posted an ERA of 3.69 and is leading the league in HR/9.
The highlight of his season, though, was pitching the first six innings of the Mariners' combined no-hitter in June.
Not too shabby for a 37-year-old whose career many considered to be winding down.
Boston Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia is starting to become more known for his hitting than being the main piece in Atlanta's trade to acquire Mark Teixeira.
Salty already has a career high 17 home runs this season to go along with a .490 slugging percentage.
The three other players in the Teixeira trade, Neftali Feliz, Elvis Andrus, and Matt Harrison, have all been All-Stars. If Saltalamacchia can keep improving, he may join them one day.
New York reliever Rafael Soriano has filled in admirably for the Yankees with Mariano Rivera on the shelf for the season.
Soriano is showing the same pitching prowess that earned him an All-Star spot in 2010, closing out 24 games for the Yankees while maintaining a 1.46 ERA.
Though he is no Rivera, the Yankees can feel safe knowing they have Soriano to close out their games.
2. Rafael Furcal
Since leaving the Braves, current St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal has battled several injuries that have limited his productivity.
2012 has proved to be different story though.
Furcal has managed to stay healthy all year and has paid big dividends for the Cardinals, leading the team in runs and steals while playing in his third career All-Star game.
The former Brave that is having the best 2012 season is San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera.
Cabrera is among the league leaders in hits and batting average and made his first All-Star game, winning the game's MVP in the process.
While with the Braves, Cabrera was a bust, batting just .255 with 42 RBI. Since leaving Atlanta, however, Cabrera has noticeably slimmed down and seen his career take off.
Cabrera is now enjoying a career year and is in contention to win the National League MVP, clearly separating himself as the best former Brave this season.
Sources:
http://www.baseball-reference.com
Joey Hnath is a resident of metro Atlanta and a diehard Atlanta Braves fan. He has been covering MLB since 2011.
