Melvin was coming off a 20/30 season. Had posted wrc+ years of 108, 113, and 107. Was a 3+ war player for 3 straight years in his prime. Saying he was bad prior to coming here is revisionist history.
Signing BJ wasn’t a terrible move. It was terrible because the Braves set their sights on him early and then bid against themselves until they paid him way more than any other team was offering.