In a trade of catchers, the Braves acquired Henry Blanco from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Bako and José Cabrera. Bako played in 87 games for the Brewers in 2002, his most extensive playing time since his rookie season; behind him, the team used four additional catchers. Bako batted .235 with four home runs for the season. His top performance of the year was against the Minnesota Twins in interleague play; Bako went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning and a bases-loaded single to drive in a third run.