Former Angels Pitcher Signs in Korea

Maren Angus-Coombs | 17 Hours Ago

Feb 25, 2023; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tucker Davidson (32) pitches against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization announced they’ve signed former Los Angeles Angels left-hander for $950,000 ($850,000 salary, $100,000 incentives), according to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net.

This marks the first time Davidson will play in a foreign league in his professional career.

Lotte announced that they have signed pitcher Tucker Davidson for $950K ($850K salary, $100K incentives) and re-signed @charliebarnes5 for $1.5 million (includes $150K incentives) https://t.co/0FaIaSACIn

— Dan Kurtz (@MyKBO) December 13, 2024

Davidson spent parts of two seasons with the Angels in 2022 and 2023, appearing in 26 games over the two seasons combined. He was traded to Los Angeles from Atlanta as part of the deal that brought closer Raisel Iglesias to the Braves. A year later, the Angels dealt him to the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations. However, at the end of the 2023 season, the Baltimore Orioles claimed him off waivers.

More News: Angels Sign Former Yankees, Dodgers World Series Winning Pitcher

Baltimore waived Davidson when the 2024 season ended and he opted to become a free agent. Instead of signing another minor league contract, he decided to use his strong Triple-A performance as a springboard for a chance in the KBO. The 28-year-old owns a 5.76 ERA over 129.2 innings in the majors, having pitched for four different teams.

The 6-foot-2 left-hander made a single appearance in the majors this year, pitching 4.2 innings out of the bullpen for the Baltimore Orioles. He earned the win in a blowout victory over the Minnesota Twins during the final weekend of the season.

Davidson spent the remainder of the year with the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk, starting 17 of 32 games and posting a 3.89 ERA over 115.2 innings.

Davidson began his career with the Atlanta Braves, who drafted the left-hander in the 19th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. By 2020, he had worked his way up to being ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the Braves' farm system, earning a call-up to make his big league debut that season.

However, his first MLB outing didn’t go well. He gave up seven hits, four walks, and two earned runs in just 1.2 innings. Despite the rough debut, Davidson returned to make four more starts in 2021. During those appearances, he posted a solid 3.60 ERA, 1.150 WHIP, and 0.5 WAR.

Davidson has a 4-10 record in his MLB career, with a 5.76 ERA, 1.604 WHIP, 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings, and a -0.8 WAR. In the minors, he has a 30-44 record, a 3.22 ERA, a 1.298 WHIP, and 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

More news: Angels Free Agent Pitcher Signs With NL Central Club