The SSG announced that Landers is a right-hander Mitch White has agreed to a one-year, $1 million contract with the Korea Baseball Organization team. White elected to become a minor league free agent at the end of the season after being cut from the Brewers' 40-man roster back in June.
A second-round pick of the Dodgers in the 2016 draft, White garnered some top-100 attention during his time in Los Angeles' farm system and cracked the major leagues in the shortened 2020 season. White posted a 3.58 ERA, a 22.02% strikeout rate and an 8.31% walk rate over 105 2/3 innings with the Dodgers from 2020 to 2022, working as either Starter or reliever.
LA often shuttled White between Triple-A and the majors as part of that swingman role, ultimately deeming him expendable enough to be dealt to the Blue Jays at the 2022 trade deadline. The deal appeared to derail White's career, as the right-hander had had major problems with MLB players since leaving the Dodgers organization. He posted a 7.74 ERA in 43 innings for the Jays for the remainder of the 2022 season and a 7.18 ERA in 36 1/3 innings since Opening Day 2023.
White's 2024 workload of 23 2/3 innings was split between Toronto, San Francisco and Milwaukee. The Giants acquired White from the Jays after Toronto designated him for assignment in April, and the Brewers acquired him a few weeks later after the Giants also sent him into DFA limbo. White's only time in the minor leagues came with the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, and his numbers (4.06 ERA, 27.2% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate) were at least a significant improvement by comparison to his time on the show.
Since White's chances of getting a guaranteed contract with a major league team this winter weren't great, the move to South Korea offers White (who turns 30 in December) the opportunity to secure a seven-figure salary . A strong performance with the Landers could put White back on the radar of MLB teams next offseason if he were interested in a relatively quick return to North American baseball. Playing in the KBO league also has an added personal appeal for White, whose mother is Korean.
