Brewers sign former Reds' second-round pick to minor league contract

On Wednesday evening, the Milwaukee Brewers traded right-handed reliever Jacob Waguespack, whom they signed to a minor league contract back in late January, to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations or a player to be named later. On Thursday morning, they've seemingly replaced Waguespack by signing right-handed reliever Lyon Richardson, who was recently designated for assignment by the Cincinnati Reds, to a minor league deal.

Richardson cleared waivers after his DFA back on June 2, and the Reds outrighted him to Triple-A. However, since Richardson had been previously outrighted, he was granted the ability to reject the assignment to Triple-A Louisville and become a free agent, which he did back on June 4. After a week on the free agent market, Richardson landed a minor league deal with perhaps the best organization for a former top draft pick who has hit a wall on a big-league mound; the Brewers are notorious for unlocking a player's potential after they've been struggling with their former team.

Brewers agree to minor league contract with right-handed reliever Lyon Richardson, who spent the last eight years in the Reds' organization

Cincinnati selected Richardson out of Jensen Beach High School in Florida, in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft. After a slow start to his professional career, which included a season lost to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and another lost to injury in 2022, Richardson broke out in the Reds' minor league system in 2023. After beginning the season in Low-A, Richardson rose through Double-A and Triple-A before making his major league debut on August 6, 2023.

Since his debut in 2023, Richardson has turned in a mixed bag of results for Cincinnati. He has since been converted into a reliever after spending the entirety of his minor league career and debut season as a starter. He made just one appearance for the big-league club in 2024, before a strong 2025 season. In 2025, Richardson made 34 appearances for the Reds and posted a solid 4.54 ERA. This season, Richardson was awarded just two opportunities with the big-league club before he was designated for assignment.

A high walk rate has plagued Richardson throughout his professional career, but there's certainly potential in his four-pitch mix if the Brewers can rein in his command. Richardson throws two fastballs -- a four-seam and a sinker -- and averages roughly 96 mph on each of them. However, his most used pitch in each of the last three seasons is his changeup, which generated a decent 27.5% whiff rate last year, but was hit hard when Richardson failed to locate it properly. Richardson also has the ability to throw both a tight slider and a looping curveball, but favored the latter in his solid 2025 campaign.

Richardson, still just 26-years-old, will join the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, where the Brewers will tinker with his pitch mix to optimize his output. If he can better command his pitches, there's certainly potential for Richardson to factor into the Brewers' major-league bullpen mix at some point this year.

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