Right-handed pitcher Kenta Maeda started 103 regular season games for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2016 through 2019, appearing in 137.
He also took the mound for 24 postseason outings, although mostly as a relief pitcher.
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Maeda was at his best with the Dodgers, maintaining an ERA of 4.04 or lower in three out of his four seasons in Los Angeles. His first MLB campaign was particularly memorable as Maeda won 16 games and placed third in the Rookie of the Year voting.
From there, he had his ups and downs but was generally reliable, finishing his Dodgers career with a record of 47-35 and a cumulative regular season ERA of 3.87.
Kenta Maeda with the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in 2019.Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The league has been less kind to Maeda ever since an injury lost season in 2022. And the past two years with the Detroit Tigers have been notably rough.
On that note, on the evening of May 7, the Tigers PR team announced that Maeda has been “placed on unconditional release waivers.”
Covering the story, Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors clarified that “once [Maeda] clears waivers, he’ll be a free agent” after initially being designated for assignment last week.
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Detroit has the look of a legitimate World Series contender in a slightly weaker American League, leading the AL with a 22-13 record.
They simply have no need for Maeda and his 6.21 ERA (since joining the Tigers) anymore.
Just after leaving the Dodgers, Maeda had a career year with the Minnesota Twins in a shortened 2020 season (2.70 ERA over 11 starts). He pitched decently for the Twins in 2021 and 2023, but has really struggled with the Tigers since then.
Having just turned 37 years old in April, it’ll be interesting to see if Maeda attempts to continue his MLB career following this recent setback.
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