SSG Landers declared that right hand Mitch White agreed to a one-year, $1MM contract with the Korea Baseball Organization. White elected to become a minor league free agent at the end of the season, after previously being cut from the Brewers’ 40-man roster in June.
A second-round pick of the Dodgers in the 2016 draft, White garnered top-100 attention during his time in the Los Angeles farm system, and cracked the big leagues during the shortened 2020 campaign. White posted a 3.58 ERA, 22.02% strikeout rate, and 8.31% walk rate over 105 2/3 innings with the Dodgers from 2020-22, serving as a starter or reliever depending to the needs of the group.
LA often shuttled White back and forth between Triple-A and the majors as part of this role, and eventually found him serviceable enough to deal with the Blue Jays at the 2022 trade deadline. The deal appeared to derail White’s career, as the right-hander has struggled against MLB hitters since leaving the Dodgers organization. He posted a 7.74 ERA in 43 innings for the Jays through the 2022 season, and a 7.18 ERA in 36 1/3 innings through Opening Day 2023.
White’s 2024 career 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 sent him to DFA limbo. White’s final time in the minor leagues was spent with the Brewers’ Triple-A organization, and his numbers (4.06 ERA, 27.2% strikeout rate, and 8.8% walk rate) were at least a marked improvement over his time in the Expos.
Since White’s chances of getting a guaranteed contract with a Major League team this winter were not good, the move to South Korea gives White (who turns 30 in December) a chance to cover a seven-figure salary. A strong showing with Landers could put White back on the radar of MLB teams next season, if he is interested in a quick return to North American baseball. Playing in the KBO League is also another personal attraction for White, whose mother is Korean.
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