Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yomiuri Giants interested in acquiring veteran right-hander Kenta MaedaAccording to Yahoo Sports Japan. Maeda, 37, said back in August that he planned to leave Major League Baseball and return to Japan for the 2026 season, hoping to find a job with NPB.
The veteran’s decision to leave Major League Baseball comes as no surprise considering how difficult the past two seasons have been for him. He pitched 112 1/3 innings with the Tigers in 2024, posting a 6.09 ERA, but he failed to break into the club’s rotation in spring training and began the season as a long-relief option in the bullpen. However, he ultimately made just seven appearances, allowing eight runs (seven earned runs) on nine hits, six runs, one home run and three batters in eight innings while striking out eight. He was eventually released in early May, a disappointing end to his two-year $24 contract.
Maeda has pitched in the minors this year for the Cubs and Yankees since being released by Detroit. In 20 starts between the two organizations, he posted a 5.40 OPS, 19.5% strikeout rate, and 9.2% walk rate in 100 innings at the Triple-A level. That said, he did make some progress during his time with the Yankees’ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate, posting a 4.64 ERA, 21.5% strikeout rate, and 7.9% walk rate in his final eight starts this season. He ended his career in the States on a positive note when he threw five scoreless innings and struck out five batters against the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
While Maeda’s results at the major league level have been weak over the past two years, one shouldn’t forget that he has been a quality starter for the Dodgers and Twins over the years since making his major league debut in 2016. By the end of his age-35 season in 2023, Maeda had compiled a career 3.92 ERA and 3.74 FIP in 866 1/3 regular-season innings in the majors along with a stellar postseason resume in which he pitched to a 3.24 ERA and struck out 26.8% of his opponents in 41 2/3 postseason innings.
Of course, that solid record in the majors came after eight seasons with the NPB Hiroshima Carp. After his breakout 2010 season at age 22, Maeda posted six straight seasons with the Carp with an ERA of 2.60 or lower in 175 innings or more, including an eye-popping 1.53 ERA in 206 1/3 innings in 29 starts during the 2012 season. He was a five-time All-Star for Hiroshima but is now likely to join a new club when he returns to NPB next year given Yomiuri’s interest in him. Of course, it’s also possible that the Carp (or other clubs) may express interest in Maeda’s services once the NPB offseason begins later this month.
