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Looking back, the blockbuster trade between the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves during the 1988 Winter Meetings was probably one of the most lopsided in the last three decades.

Atlanta traded starting pitchers Tom Glavine and John Smoltz with outfield prospect David Justice to the Milwaukee Brewers for starting pitcher Ted Higuera and first baseman Joey Meyer. Higuera was okay for a couple of years before back and shoulder injuries ended his career. Meyer had three years as a decent first baseman for Atlanta before he was out of baseball because he kept pushing 300 pounds.

Glavine, Smoltz, Don August, Jamie Navarro, and Chris Bosio, though, ended up becoming a dominant rotation in the AL as the Brewers went to the ALCS for seven straight years, winning the AL pennant five times, and taking home the World Series championship three times.

Justice ended up joining Gary Sheffield and Greg Vaughn as the young sluggers that joined Molitor and Yount in powering the Brewers offense, not that they needed offense with the rotation they had!

Do the Brewers become a championship team by keeping Higuera? Or was this trade what they needed to become champs?
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