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Signing free-agent pitcher Kenta Maeda would help Detroit Tigers in more ways than one
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- Signing free-agent pitcher Kenta Maeda would help Detroit Tigers in more ways than one
The Detroit Tigers have "serious interest" in free-agent right-hander Kenta Maeda , according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
The Tigers want to establish themselves in the Japanese pitching market, so signing Maeda to a short-term contract — and giving him a first-class experience — would help set the foundation for future deals. He would provide a much-needed veteran presence on the young pitching staff, as well.
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It's unclear if Maeda is interested in the Tigers.
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Minnesota Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda throws against the Detroit Tigers in the fourth inning of a game at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, June 23, 2023.
At the general manager meetings, agent Scott Boras — who represents Maeda — told reporters that all healthy starting pitchers were receiving interest from at least 10 teams . He gave that response when asked specifically about the market for Maeda, who finished last season's stint with the Minnesota Twins with 25 walks and 103 strikeouts across his final 88⅓ innings.
Maeda, 35, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Japan in 2016, following eight seasons with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2016 as a Dodger and second in American League Cy Young voting in 2020 as a Twin.
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He underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2021 and didn't return until April 2023. He struggled in his first four starts with a 9.00 ERA across 16 innings and landed on the injured list in late April because of a right triceps strain.
Maeda returned to the Twins in late June and thrived in his final 17 games, posing a 3.36 ERA across 88⅓ innings. His ERA ranked 23rd among 74 pitches with at least 80 innings during the 17-game stretch, from June 23-Oct. 2.
Coming off the injured list, Maeda tossed five scoreless innings with three hits, two walks and eight strikeouts against the Tigers on June 23 at Comerica Park.
"He's a veteran guy who's ready to compete at this level," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said of Maeda's performance on June 23 after the 4-1 loss to the Twins . "He can change speeds and change pitches. Really, we didn't execute against his secondary pitches. He doesn't throw a ton of fastballs, so you're going to have to be disciplined to his split-slider combo. All of our guys had a hard time handling those pitches."
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Maeda also performed well against the Tigers in back-to-back outings Aug. 10 at Comerica Park and Aug. 16 at Target Field. In those starts, he gave up four runs on 10 hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts over 10 innings.
Riley Greene hit a home run off Maeda in both games.
"I was going based on how they attacked me the first time we faced them," Greene said Aug. 16, after an 8-7 win over the Twins, about his second matchup with Maeda . "He switched it up and threw the splitter a little bit more, but I stuck to my strengths and what I do. I don't really change my approach for anyone."
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In total, Maeda posted a 4.23 ERA with 28 walks and 117 strikeouts across 104⅓ innings throughout the 2023 season, spanning 21 games. He ranked in the 78th percentile in walk rate (6.5%), 77th percentile in strikeout rate (27.3%), 76th percentile in chase rate (31.2%) and 66th percentile in whiff rate (28.2%).
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His four-seam fastball averages 91 mph, but he finds success in the nasty combination of his splitter and slider. He used to throw more fastballs, but since his velocity decline in the 2020 season, he has thrown more splitters and sliders.
In the past two days, the St. Louis Cardinals have signed two pitchers — right-handers Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson — to one-year contracts, setting the market early: Lynn received a $10 million deal with a club option for 2025; Gibson received a $12 million deal with a club option for 2025.
The Tigers checked in on Lynn before he signed with the Cardinals, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. His club option is worth $12 million with a $1 million buyout.
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This offseason, the national headlines will be dominated by two other Japanese players: two-way player Shohei Ohtani and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto .
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Three notable players — Yamamoto, left-hander Shota Imanaga and left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui — are expected to transition from Japan's NPB to MLB ahead of the 2024 season.
Yamamoto, one of the best pitchers in Japanese pro history, logged a 1.42 ERA with 28 walks and 176 strikeouts over 171 innings in 24 games with the Orix Buffaloes in 2023. In March, he pitched for Team Japan and won the gold medal in the World Baseball Classic.
Yamamoto, who turned 25 in August, was officially posted Monday. The 45-day window for teams to negotiate with Yamamoto opened at 8 a.m. Tuesday and ends at 5 p.m. Jan. 4.
He could command more than $200 million, plus a posting fee.
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Here's what Maeda told Fangraphs' David Laurila when asked about Yamamoto in September 2023 : "He's a great pitcher. He's probably way better than me. I mean, it's hard for me to say if a pitcher is better than me, or not as good as me, but he's a well-established pitcher. That's all I can really say. But again, he's probably better."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kenta Maeda and Detroit Tigers could be ideal fit for 2024 season
