Alex Anthopoulos has been on the right side of numerous trades during his tenure with the Atlanta Braves. Acquisitions like Chris Sale and Matt Olson are a couple of the first trades we think of when pondering some of Anthopoulos' greatest moves. However, not all trades have been a landslide victory for Anthopoulos.
Although some of the prospects Anthopoulos dealt did not pan out for their new club, others have actually been able to flourish with their new team. Let's take a look at which former Braves prospects have established themselves as quality big leaguers, and which prospects made Anthopoulos look like a genius.
Two Braves prospects that are flourishing with their new team
Shea Langeliers
Clearly the best prospect the Braves have traded away in the Anthopoulos era, Langeliers has established himself as one of the sport's premier backstops. Langeliers' 2.4 fWAR is the second most among all MLB catchers, and the same power that made him a top Braves prospect has presented itself with the Athletics.
Still, the loss of Langeliers is softened by the fact that the man Atlanta received from Oakland has been so valuable. Matt Olson was the player acquired in exchange for four Atlanta prospects. Since arriving in Atlanta in 2022, Olson has posted a 135 wRC+ and 19.8 fWAR. Additionally, the Braves seem quite set at catcher for awhile thanks to the rapid ascension of Drake Baldwin.
Evan Phillips
Nearly a forgotten Brave, Evan Phillips was not a highly ranked prospect, but he is an arm that Anthopoulos probably wishes he had held on to. Phillips was part of the package that was sent to Baltimore in exchange for Kevin Gausman and Darren O'Day back in 2018.
While Phillips did not immediately prosper in Baltimore, he eventually found his way in the Dodgers organization. Phillips has morphed into one of the better late-inning relievers of the last few seasons, posting a sub-3.30 FIP in every season since 2022.
Two Braves prospects that have not found their footing since leaving Atlanta
Cristian Pache
We revisit the Matt Olson trade again with a player who did not enjoy the same breakout Shea Langeliers did. Cristian Pache was actually ranked ahead of Langeliers (and every other Braves prospect) in 2021, but sadly, his bat never caught up to his stellar glove.
Pache played in just 91 games with Oakland in 2022 before the team cut bait with the now 27-year-old outfielder. Pache spent time on the Phillies, Orioles, and Marlins bench in 2023 and 2024, but eventually his 46 wRC+ proved too harsh to keep on a Major League roster.
Kyle Muller
The Braves' top-ranked prospect at the end of the 2022 season, Kyle Muller, was a towering left-handed pitcher who flashed in limited work with Atlanta in 2021. The former second-round pick was the highest ranked prospect dealt in the trade that brought Sean Murphy to Atlanta.
Muller threw just over 125 innings with the A's across two seasons, and the same command issues that plagued him as a prospect cost him his spot on the big league roster in Oakland. In 2025, Muller made the jump to the NPB in Japan, hoping to revitalize his career.
Add us as a preferred source on Google