KBO’s SSG Landers Sign Lyon Richardson

The SSG Landers of the KBO League announced Thursday that right-hander Lyon Richardson was signed to a one-year deal. Richardson will earn $900K in salary, plus he received a $100K signing bonus for putting pen to paper. A second-round pick for the Reds in the 2018 draft, Richardson has appeared in parts of the last four MLB seasons, though the large majority of his big league work came in 2025. Richardson has a 6.48 ERA, 17.2% strikeout rate, and 14.6% walk rate over 58 1/3 innings and 42 games in the Show, with 37 2/3 of those innings coming in 34 appearances with the 2025 Reds. Cincinnati designated Richardson for assignment last offseason and then outrighted him off its 40-man roster, but selected Richardson again in May for what proved to be his final two MLB games with the Reds. Richardson was then DFA’ed and outrighted again, and he opted for free agency and landed with the Brewers on a minor league deal. This new beginning led to another DFA/outright cycle and a second minors contract with Milwaukee, and Richardson’s time in the organization resulted in 1 2/3 innings of big league work in one game. Richardson is out of minor league options, and would’ve been limited to fielding only minors contracts this winter if he’d stayed focused on remaining in North America. With the lockout looming, Richardson might not have found a new deal with an MLB team for months, so signing with the Landers gives him both added financial security and the ability to now focus solely on baseball. While he has worked mostly as a reliever in the majors and minors over the last few years, Richardson will return to starting duties with the Landers. Richardson’s career-long control problems remain an obstacle, but a solid showing in the KBO League could get him back onto the radar for MLB teams in a year’s time, and perhaps with a larger payday awaiting if he can re-establish his value as a starting pitcher. View Comments (0)