The Detroit Tigers signed starting pitcher Kenta Maeda to a two-year deal on Sunday night, helping solidify a spot in their rotation.
They needed that spot solidified since Eduardo Rodriguez opted-out of his deal this offseason and is now on the free agent market.
The Tigers finished second in the mediocre American League Central and are looking to move further into contention, so signing Maeda as a stabilizing force is a good move, especially for a team that has a bunch of young starters that have struggled to stay healthy.
In the wake of the signing, the Tigers' rotation likely lines up with Maeda, Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson, Matt Manning and Casey Mize, the latter of which is coming back from Tommy John surgery. MLBTradeRumors also had these five as the projected starters as part of a broader article on Maeda's signing. Of course, there is still time to make additional moves to strengthen the rotation further.
Maeda went 6-8 this season for Minnesota with a 4.23 ERA. He made 20 starts and threw 104.1 innings, striking out 117.
The seven-year Japanese hurler has pitched for the Dodgers and Twins in his career. He started with LA in 2016 and was traded to the Twins before the 2020 season. He's won double-digit games in three separate seasons and went 6-1 in the shortened 2020 COVID season.
He's been to the playoffs nearly every year of his career and could help this young Tigers team with his leadership capabilities and playoff experience. The Twins went to the American League Division Series this season, with Maeda throwing four innings of relief.
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