Chris Paddack is taking his next turn overseas.
The Samsung Lions of the KBO League in South Korea announced Wednesday that they have signed the right-hander, with Ilyo Shinmun reporting the move before the official announcement.
For Paddack, 30, it’s the latest stop in a season that has already taken him all over the map. He opened the year with the Marlins on a $4MM deal, made seven appearances, then was designated for assignment and released.
The Reds picked him up next, and he made six appearances there before getting cut loose again. The Rangers then brought him in, used him in one game, and removed him from the roster.
Across those three clubs, Paddack threw 57 innings and the results never really turned. He finished with a 6.79 ERA, a 7.1% walk rate that was better than average, and a strikeout rate of just 15% against.
That’s a sharp fall from the pitcher who looked like a breakout arm in 2019. As a rookie with the Padres, Paddack logged 140 2/3 innings with a 3.33 ERA, a 26.9% strikeout rate and a 5.5% walk rate. The next two seasons brought more trouble, with his ERA sitting around 5.00 while the strikeouts drifted into the low 20s.
Then came the injury setback. After a trade to the Twins, Tommy John surgery wiped out most of his 2022 and 2023.
Since returning, the numbers haven’t bounced back. His ERA has stayed around 5.00 or climbed even higher, and the swing-and-miss stuff has continued to fade.
He struck out 16.7% of hitters last year, then dropped to 15% this season.
Paddack had been on the open market since last week, and it’s possible the offers were limited to minor league deals. Instead, he’s choosing the KBO route, which should bring a modest financial bump. If he had signed with another MLB team, he wouldn’t have added any money to his pocket, since the Marlins are still responsible for the rest of his $4MM salary and any new club would only owe the prorated league minimum.
Now he heads to the Lions with a chance to reset. A strong stretch in South Korea could open the door to another run with Samsung, another KBO team, or even a future move to Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.
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