Reds might have accidentally opened the door for another Brewers success story

The Cincinnati Reds' bullpen has been atrocious this season. You know it, I know it, and the front office (probably) knows it as well. The Reds just haven't found any stability outside of their starting rotation in 2026, which is a major problem when you're competing in the NL Central — the best division in baseball.

Knowing how bad Cincinnati's relief corps has been this season, it would lead one to assume that if the Reds don't want you as part of their bullpen, you probably don't belong on any pitching staff throughout Major League Baseball. Such was the reality facing Lyon Richardson, who was designated for assignment earlier this month after a very brief (but very ugly) showing in Cincinnati.

After clearing waivers, Richardson elected free agency rather than an outright assignment back to Triple-A Louisville. It didn't take him long to find a new home, and in doing so, he may have reached the mecca of baseball: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Given the Milwaukee Brewers' proclivity for turning discarded arms into legitimate weapons, there's probably about a 50/50 chance that letting Richardson go comes back to haunt the Reds. (Maybe 60/40.)

Ex-Reds pitcher Lyon Richardson finds a new home with the Brewers

Richardson, a second-round pick back in 2018, simply never broke through during his time in Cincinnati. He received sparse playing time (56⅔ innings) over his four seasons with the Reds, and eventually exhausted all of his minor-league options despite having less than a quarter-year of service time in the majors.

His stuff didn't translate against the best hitters in the game; his 14.6% career walk rate is ghastly, hence his 6.67 ERA and 6.29 FIP. Even in the minor leagues, his command was a constance source of consternation, as he walked 5.3 batters per nine innings pitched in Triple-A.

Richardson received one final chance to prove himself to the Reds at the end of May, but in two appearances he allowed five runs and two homers, resulting in a 27.00 ERA. That proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back, and after being DFA'd for the second time in his career, he elected free agency.

There's no guarantee that he ever gets a shot with the Brewers, but Milwaukee has long been revered as one of the best pitching factories in baseball. It took the Brewers one spring to turn Kyle Harrison from bust to Cy Young contender, and Milwaukee's bullpen is elite despite constantly spending less money than the Reds year-in and year-out.

Knowing the Reds' luck this season, Richardson will be closing out games for the Brewers in the playoffs this October. To get to that point, though, he'll have to be a whole heckuva lot better than he was in Cincy.

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