Former Tigers Reliever Set To Join New York Yankees

The Detroit Tigers have had an exceptional 2025 season when it comes to production, and while they had a bit of a slow stretch coming out of the All-Star break, they have found a bit of momentum to build off of going forward.

Prior to the break, the Tigers let go of pitcher Kenta Maeda, who had been utilized exclusively in a relief role throughout 2025. He chose to sign with the Chicago Cubs on a minor league deal after his release, and with an ability to opt-out this week, he chose to utilize it.

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In a report from MLB.com correspondent Yuki Yamada, he noted that Maeda opted out of this minor league deal with the Cubs to sign a minor league contract with the New York Yankees. This was first reported as a possibility by Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

Maeda has struggled at the MLB level for quite some time now, and while he has shown some promising flashes in the minor leagues during that span, he has had difficulty maintaining that in the Majors.

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In his last MLB showings with Detroit, he made seven appearances to start 2025, posting a 7.88 ERA, 1.875 WHIP, eight strikeouts, six walks and one home run allowed.

At 37 years old, he may still have some gas left in the tank, and by signing with the Yankees who are in desperate need of some pitching depth, Maeda may be get a chance down the stretch.

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This is a great opportunity for the veteran to get some more reps in and prove he has what it takes to work into an MLB role once again.

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