Remembering the Braves Nearly Acquiring Barry Bonds in 1992 and Turning Baseball Upside Down

Let’s set the scene: It’s Spring Training 1992. The Atlanta Braves are only three years away from winning a World Series in ‘95, but they had built up quite the reputation as one of the best young teams in the league. Out in Pittsburgh, Barry Bonds was a 27-year-old slugger was playing the best ball of his own career.

Atlanta’s manager, Bobby Cox, put the groundwork in place: trade for Bonds to come to Atlanta and create a dynasty that would shake the MLB forever.

Pirates GM Ted Simmons was ready to send Bonds down to the A for Alejandro Pena, Keith Mitchell and a prospect to be named later. Braves GM John Scheuerholz agreed to the terms, and the press release was expected to be sent the next morning. When Simmons told Pirates manager Jim Leyland about the potential deal, Leyland lost it

And rightfully so.

But what if Simmons didn't notify Leyland and the trade went through? Just imagine.

Chipper Jones was still on his path to joining Braves in the majors, but he and Bonds would have ripped pitchers to shreds for the foreseeable future. With young pitchers John Smoltz and Tom Glavine establishing themselves in the rotation, there is no telling how dominant this Braves team would have been for a whole decade. The only factor that would have changed is that it is possible that the team does not sign Greg Maddux, whom they acquired after missing out on Bonds.

With a championship 1995 and World Series appearances ’96 and ’99, there is a good chance that Atlanta could have made and won a few more with the addition of the all-time slugger. Braves fans can only reminisce on what would have been, but for a day in time, they were a phone call away from being the team of the 1990s in the MLB.