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The SSG Landers have signed former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher Pedro Avila, the club announced Wednesday, filling the roster spot left vacant by the release of Anthony Veneziano over the weekend. Avila, a 29-year-old Venezuelan right-hander, will earn US$380,000 in salary for the remainder of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, with an additional $200,000 available in incentives, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Coverage Comparison

Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean wire service, reported both the release of Veneziano and the subsequent signing of Avila in separate articles. The first piece, published Saturday, focused on Veneziano's struggles in his debut KBO season, noting that the 28-year-old left-hander posted a 6.10 ERA and a 2-5 record across 16 starts. The second article, published Wednesday, highlighted Avila's experience and the team's hopes that he can stabilize a rotation that has been hampered by poor performances from several foreign pitchers.

The two reports present a clear narrative: the Landers, currently ninth in the 10-team league, are trying to address their pitching woes. The first article details the team's high team ERA, while the second introduces Avila as a potential remedy, with Yonhap quoting the club as saying he is "a perfect fit to join their rotation given his experience and his ability to eat up innings."

Key Claims

  • Veneziano's release: Yonhap reported that the SSG Landers cut ties with Anthony Veneziano on Saturday. Veneziano, signed in January after the club terminated a deal with Drew VerHagen over a failed physical, struggled throughout his first KBO season. He gave up at least one run in 15 of his 16 outings, posting a 7.23 ERA in April and a 7.31 ERA in June.
  • Landers' pitching struggles: The Landers have the highest team ERA in the KBO at 5.79, according to Yonhap. The report also notes poor performances from other foreign pitchers: Mitch White made just six appearances due to a shoulder injury and had a 4.11 ERA before being released last month; his short-term replacement, Ginjiro Hiramoto, went 0-3 with a 9.56 ERA in four outings and was cut in early June. Thomas Hatch, who joined the rotation in mid-June, is 1-2 with a 7.08 ERA in four starts. The Asian quota pitcher, Shota Takeda of Japan, has a 1-7 record and a 7.41 ERA. The Landers are in ninth place at 30-48-3.
  • Avila's signing and background: Yonhap reported that Avila appeared in 72 games for the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Guardians in Major League Baseball from 2019 to 2024, with a career 8-4 record and a 3.51 ERA. He then pitched for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball in 2025, going 7-8 with a 4.04 ERA. In 2026, he has been with Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers, posting a 3-7 record and a 7.50 ERA in 15 outings. Across four Triple-A seasons, Avila has a 12-15 record and a 6.05 ERA. According to the Landers, Avila can touch 156 kilometers per hour with his four-seam fastball and features a cutter, changeup, curveball, and splitter.
  • Team standing: Yonhap's first article states the Landers are in ninth place with a 30-48-3 record, while the second article does not repeat this information. The club has endured a franchise-worst 13-game losing streak earlier this year and is currently on a seven-game slide, as reported by Yonhap.