The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Barry Bonds as the sixth overall pick in the 1985 draft. From 1986 to 1991, Bonds hit .268 with a .367 OBP and posted an .850 OPS while hitting 142 home runs, driving in 453 runs, and stole 212 bases. In Spring Training of 1992, former Pirates GM Ted Simmons and former Braves GM John Schuerholz were about to pull off one of the biggest trades in baseball history with Barry Bonds going to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for outfield prospect Keith Mitchell, pitching prospect Alejandro Pena, and a player to be named later. The deal had been agreed upon from both GM’s, the players had passed their physicals and all that was left was an official announcement from the Braves. But as John Schuerholz was about to call Ted Simmons to tell him about when he could announce it, Simmons told Schuerholz that the deal could not be done. Simmons explained how Jim Leyland was very furious when he heard about the deal. Schuerholz himself was upset as well because the deal was called off at the last minute and that a lot went into a deal of that magnitude. Let’s think about for a second that had this trade been made how it would of effected things? For one, Bonds would not of been involved in trying to throw out Sid Bream at home plate. To go a step further, the Pirates probably don’t make the postseason that year without Bonds. Other things to consider is that the Braves would of signed him to an extension and he wouldn’t of signed with the San Francisco Giants as a free agent, and the big question is would the Braves have won more World Series titles with Bonds there? But all we can do as fans is speculate on what could of been had that deal went down.
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