Several Braves familiar faces have been drafted in a new professional baseball league in Dubai. Bartolo Colon, Robinson Cano, and Pablo Sandoval may not have had extensive careers in Atlanta but each deserves to be recognized.
The year after Colon posted a 3.43 ERA across 191.2 innings en route to an All-Star appearance in 2016 with the Mets, the Braves inked Big Sexy to a deal that didn’t go nearly as well as Atlanta had hoped.
Colon posted an 8.14 ERA in 63.0 innings before they shipped him off to Minnesota. His numbers did improve with the Twins — 5.18 ERA — but he was clearly still a shell of the 2016 version that looked like he’d beaten Father Time.
Robinson Cano’s Braves career was by far the most forgettable. He only appeared in nine games for Atlanta and hit .154 across 26 plate appearances.
Pablo Sandoval had a similarly forgettable Braves career on the field, but he was the club’s mascot during the magical 2021 campaign that ended with a World Series trophy. The Panda only had a .645 OPS, but he did provide immense value as a locker room guy while also delivering a couple of memorable at-bats.
In terms of vibes, nobody quite brought it like the Panda. Pablo Sandoval will never be remembered for what he brought on the field, but he’ll be a Braves legend forever for what he brought in the clubhouse.
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