Chicago Cubs Reportedly Signing Veteran Righty Kenta Maeda

Có thể là hình ảnh về 2 người và văn bản

It wasn’t until I’d written yesterday about the Iowa Cubs rotation issues that I realized just how dire the situation had become. Thanks to a combination of injuries and promotions, the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate was seemingly in routine scramble to get guys to make starts and cover innings, to say nothing of having adequate depth in the event of a real Major League catastrophe.

So it does not surprise me to see this Kenta Maeda report, nor does it inspire in me much of a reaction beyond, “yeah, that makes sense”:

Maeda, 37, was recently let go by the Detroit Tigers, and signed quickly with the Cubs, choosing them from among at least four suitors, per the report. He is a former teammate of Seiya Suzuki’s and, again per the report, a good friend of Shōta Imanaga’s.

Which is not to say Maeda ever reaching the big leagues with the Cubs is a lock.

Maeda was sufficiently useful for the Twins in 2022 and 2023 that the Tigers signed him to a two-year, $24 million deal before the 2024 season. It was ugly with the Tigers, though, as Maeda posted a 6.21 ERA over 120.1 innings between the rotation and the bullpen, with a FIP that was 25% worse than league average by FIP-.

The sample this year, though, was pretty small (just eight relief innings), and it’s not unthinkable that Kenta Maeda could bounce back into something around “a little below league average” for portions of this season. I don’t know that this would be a situation where he comes to the Cubs, they apply some secret sauce, and he returns to the guy he was a few years ago.

But then, I don’t think that’s anyone’s real hope anyway.

For the Cubs, Maeda is necessary depth and necessary Triple-A innings. I don’t think there’s an explicit plan here to bring him up at any point – it’s having him available in case this or in case that. He’s an experienced veteran who can start or relieve, who has had big league success as recently as 2023, and who can be ready to provide innings at a moment’s notice if absolutely necessary.

Maeda had been pitching in relief this year, but my assumption is that he’ll stretch back out as a starter with the I-Cubs.

So, like I said: considering the Cubs’ situation at Triple-A, and considering that Kenta Maeda is a capable veteran who was available for nothing more than a minor league deal, this makes sense. Better to have a guy like Maeda available in case of emergency than not. Things had gotten that concerning in the depth department.