You know the saying about one man’s trash.
To be blunt, Chris Paddack was a trash signing for the Miami Marlins last offseason. Penciled into their starting rotation from the get-go, the veteran right-hander lasted barely a month into the 2026 regular season. He posted a 7.63 ERA and 4.96 FIP in 30 ⅔ innings pitched, with the Marlins losing all six of his starts. The notoriously thrifty Fish reluctantly flushed $4 million down the drain.
After brief stints with the Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers, Paddack made the unorthodox midseason move overseas. He debuted with the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on July 18.
As humbling as it must have been for Paddack to drop down to a lower level of competition, the fit proved to be fantastic. He had a 2.95 ERA and 3.05 FIP in 13 games (12 starts) during the second half of the KBO campaign. His strikeout rate spiked from 15.0% to 26.4% and he allowed home runs half as often. The Lions finished second in the KBO League standings.
On Wednesday in Game 2 of the Korean Series, Paddack pitched admirably (7.0 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K). He recorded a no-decision as the Lions won in extra innings. He returned to the mound on short rest during Sunday’s Game 5, tossing four perfect innings of relief to clinch the league championship.
🚨BREAKING THE SAMSUNG LIONS ARE THE 2026 KOREAN SERIES CHAMPIONS #삼성라이온즈 https://t.co/filWse1HNT
— KBO in English (@KBO_ENG) November 8, 2026
The Lion roster featured another former Marlins player. Although a lousy hitter in the big leagues from 2020-22, Lewin Díaz is a KBO superstar. This season, he slashed .305/.384/.510 with 26 home runs, two stolen bases and a 134 wRC+. Since his arrival to the league in August 2024, no KBO player has driven in more total runs (306). The Dominican first baseman went 7-for-22 at the plate during the Korean Series.
The Lions have a proud history, ranking second among all KBO teams with nine championships since entering the league in 1982. However, this victory snapped a 12-year title drought.