Ex-Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenta Maeda reportedly agrees to deal with New York Yankees
Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenta Maeda has agreed to a minor league deal with the New York Yankees, according to MLB.com's Yuki Yamada. The deal has not been made official.
News of potential involvement between Maeda and the Yankees was confirmed by the New York Post's Jon Heyman.
Maeda initially signed with the Tigers ahead of the 2024 season for two years and $24 million, offering starting depth to a Tigers team still undergoing a rebuild. And though the 2024 Tigers surprised many by earning a trip to the playoffs, Maeda didn't factor much into that success, going 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA over 112 ⅓ innings.
The nine-year veteran made the team out of spring training but was relegated to a relief role, where he struggled to a 7.88 ERA in seven appearances out of the bullpen. Instead of keeping him around (he was the third-highest paid pitcher on the team entering 2025), the Tigers cut him on May 1, allowing him to sign a minor-league deal with the Chicago Cubs on May 16.
Maeda showed little improvement with Triple-A Iowa, going 3-4 with a 5.97 ERA in 12 starts with the Cubs affiliate. The Cubs never promoted him to the big league club, and instead of waiting for promotion, Maeda opted out of his contract in favor of a deal with the Yankees.
You can reach Christian Romo at cromo@freepress.com