The Brewers signed the right-hander Lyon Richardson to a minor league deal, according to his trade tracker on MLB.com. Assigned to Triple-A Nashville. He opted for free agency last week after being scouted by the Reds.
Richardson, 26, was the Reds’ second-round pick back in 2018. Cincinnati began developing him as a starter. He missed the entire 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery but the club still valued him highly enough to place him on the 40-man roster in November of that year to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He struggled with command in 2023 and 2024, so the Reds moved him to a relief starting role later in the season.
That hasn’t translated into any major league success yet. Richardson has thrown 56 2/3 innings in the big leagues, allowing a 6.67 earned run average. He showed more skill in the juniors. Over 2025 and 2026, he threw 62 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 4.48 ERA. His 10.1% walk rate is above average but only slightly. His 24.7% hitting rate is a few ticks better than par. He fielded nearly half of the balls he allowed.
The Reds locked up Richardson through the 2023 through 2025 seasons, ending his three option years. They passed him on unclaimed waivers in the offseason. He was returned to the list of players in May this year as the team was dealing with a lot of injuries. He got stronger again after that. Since that was his second, he was eligible for free agency, which led to this deal with Milwaukee.
For the Brewers, there is no real risk in a minor league deal. Richardson has an interesting arsenal. His four-seamer and sinker both average 96 miles per hour. He complements those two with a slider, curveball and switchup. As a former second-round pick, there’s some pedigree there and the Brewers have a reputation for helping pitchers become their best.
If he does end up returning to the big leagues, he’s out of options but has less than a year to work, so he could be cheaply controlled for years to come. That will be a secondary concern, as he will first have to find a way to return to the show.
Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images
