An old Braves friend is taking an international route to try to get back to the major leagues, as Dan Kurtz reports the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization announced they’ve signed Tucker Davidson.

Originally drafted in the 19th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, Davidson made his way to the top of Atlanta’s farm system, among the top 10 prospects by 2020.

In his first taste of the majors, Davidson got shelled,  allowing seven hits, four walks and two earned runs in 1.2 innings of work. Once he returned to Atlanta in 2021, he posted a 3.60 ERA, 1.150 WHIP, and 0.5 WAR across four starts with the Braves.

Eventually, Tucker Davidson was included in the deal that landed the Braves their future closer in Raisel Iglesias. The Angels were willing to move Iglesias because of his contract, which Atlanta had no problem taking on.

It’s worked out beautifully for the Braves, as Iglesias has quietly turned into one of the best closers in baseball. That’s not the case for the Angels and Tucker Davidson, though.

Davidson struggled to open 2022. And a year after the Braves trade, the Angels traded him to the Royals in exchange for cash considerations, only for the Orioles to claim him offer waivers at the end of the 2023 season.

He did show signs of progress in 2024, but he’s clearly trying a different path in the KBO. In his MLB career, Davidson is 4-10 with a 5.76 ERA, 1.604 WHIP, 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.8 WAR. In the minors, Davidson is 30-44 with a 3.22 ERA, 1.298 WHIP and 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Now, he’ll try to become the next Merrill Kelly or Erick Fedde to reinvent himself in an international league.

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Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire