Clayton Richard, Pitcher

Date of Birth: 9/12/1983
Birthplace: Lafayette, Indiana
College: University of Michigan

Clayton Richard, pitcher, was first signed by the Chicago White Sox in 2005. He pitched in the minor leagues from 2005 through 2007, joining the White Sox for the first time in 2008.

In 2008, his first season in the major leagues, Richard pitched 47.2 innings in 13 games and he finished with a 2-5 record and a 6.04 ERA. After 26 games with the White Sox in 2009, they traded him to the San Diego Padres on July 31st. At that time, he had a 4-3 record with a 4.65 ERA. He fared better in 12 games with the Padres, pitching 64.0 innings and earning a 4.08 ERA with 5 wins and 2 losses.

Richard had his best season in 2010. That year, he pitched 201.2 innings in 33 games and he finished with a career low ERA of 3.75. He had career highs in wins (14 to 9 losses) and strikeouts (153 to 78 walks). The following year, he had shoulder surgery and he pitched in just 18 games with the Padres.

Richard returned from his surgery strong, pitching a career high 218.2 innings in 33 games in 2012. He finished the season with a career high 14 wins (to 14 losses) and a 3.99 ERA.

On February 16, 2013, Richard signed a one-year, $5.24 million contract with the San Diego Padres. He ended up having a second shoulder surgery in July, 2013. He pitched in just 12 games in 2013. He again had surgery in February, 2014, and he played in just four games in the minor leagues in 2014, after signing a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 1st.

Richard signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates in December, 2014. However, he didn't stay with them long. On July 3, 2015, he was acquired by the Chicago Cubs. He pitched in 23 games with the Cubs in 2015, both as a starter and a reliever. He finished the season with a 4-2 record, 22 strikeouts to 7 walks, and a 3.83 ERA in 42.1 innings. He pitched 4.2 innings in 6 postseason games and he gave up 3 hits.

The Cubs released Richard on August 3, 2016. Three days later, he signed again with the Padres. He finished the 2016 season with a 3.33 ERA in 25 games with the Cubs and 11 games with the Padres. He had 3 wins and 4 losses, 1 save, and 41 strikeouts to 31 walks in 67.2 innings.

In 2017, Richard had a 4.79 ERA in 32 games. He finished the season with 8 wins and 15 losses and 151 strikeouts to 59 walks in 197.1 innings.

Richard finished the 2018 season with 7 wins and 11 losses, 108 strikeouts to 60 walks, and a 5.33 ERA in 158.2 innings in 27 games.

The Padres traded Richard to the Toronto Blue Jays on December 30, 2018. He was released by the Blue Jays on September 12, 2019. He spent time on the DL in 2019 with a knee injury and with a lat strain. He finished the season with 1 win and 5 losses, 22 strikeouts to 18 walks, and a 5.96 ERA in 45.1 innings in 10 games.

Richard signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox on August 3, 2020. He didn't play professional baseball in 2020.

Richard became a free agent on November 2, 2020. He didn’t play professional baseball in 2021.

Career pitching statistics for Richard through 2019 include:

• 275 games played
• 1,284.2 innings pitched
• 69-84 win-loss record
• 824 strikeouts to 438 walks
• 4.51 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Clayton Richard
ESPN - Clayton Richard