A few days after news broke that Tucker Davidson would be joining the KBO, another Braves old friend is taking his talents to an Asian baseball league, as multiple reports confirm Kyle Muller is signing with the Chunichi Dragons of the NPB.
The towering southpaw began his career with the Braves after the club spent a second-round pick on him in 2016. Muller regularly appeared on top prospect lists during his time in Atlanta’s farm system.
He eventually made his MLB debut in 2021 and posted a 5.14 ERA across 12 games and 49 innings with the Braves in 2021-22 before the club agreed to send him to the Athletics as part of the three-team trade in December 2022 that returned Sean Murphy.
Muller eventually got an Opening Day start in Oakland, but he struggled in his new digs, posting an unsightly 7.60 ERA in 77 innings in 2023. He was then relegated to a reliever in 2024 and posted a 4.01 ERA over 49.1 innings.
The Athletics deisngated him for assignment and then outrighted him August because he was out of minor league options. Muller is still only 27, so there’s plenty of time for a potential return to the majors if he pitches well in NPB.
Muller and Davidson’s career paths serve as important reminders that pitching is incredibly volatile, and very rarely do prospects pan out. Generally, and this is especially true for Braves fans, it’s better to think of your club’s top prospects as trade chips more than guaranteed pieces.
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Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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