FA Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda (35) has found a new team.
Local media Detroit Free Press reported on the 27th , "According to multiple sources, the Detroit Tigers agreed to a two-year, $24 million contract with right-hander Maeda today," adding, "It will be officially announced if it passes a physical examination tomorrow."
Detroit's priority this offseason is to strengthen the starting lineup. It can be said that Maeda was recruited this time through the 3rd and 4th pre-issuance.
Maeda pitched 104 ⅓ innings in 21 games this season, recording 6 wins and 8 losses with a 4.23 ERA. He gave up 28 walks and struck out 117. He received Tommy John Surgery (TJS) in September 2021 and returned earlier this season after committing to rehabilitation last year. He has been evaluated for playing his part even though he missed nearly two months due to an arm injury between May and June.
Detroit's starters are mostly young guns. Left-handers Tarik Scubal, who returned in July after undergoing elbow flexion surgery, and right-handers Liz Olson and Matt Manning are the main starters. In addition to Maeda, Detroit is also targeting Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who entered the posting process this time as another Japanese pitcher.
Kenta Maeda.
Maeda played in the Major League for eight years. He joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016 and threw for four years before moving to the Minnesota Twins through a trade in 2020. He pitched in a total of 190 games in seven seasons, excluding 2022, with 65 wins and 49 losses and a 3.92 ERA.
Maeda signed an eight-year, $25 million contract when he joined the Dodgers. At that time, there were many anxiety factors such as the risk of injury, so the amount of incentives was set high, and the guarantee amount was $3.125 million per year (AAV), which was almost a "hull price." However, the total amount of bonuses received by meeting the incentive conditions was 52 million dollars over eight years.
This time, it is guaranteed AAV $12 million with Detroit.
Lance Lynn (36) and Kyle Gibson (36) are considered the starting pitchers who completed the contract at the age of mid-30s like Maeda in the FA market. Both players signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. Lynn was stamped with $11 million a year, incentives and club options for 2025, and Gibson was stamped with $12 million a year as a condition of club options for 2025.
Lynn pitched in 32 games with the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers this year, with 13 wins and 11 losses and a 5.73 ERA. Gibson, who played for the Baltimore Orioles this year, pitched 192 innings in 33 games, recording a 15-9 record with a 4.73 ERA and 157 strikeouts.
As FA starters in their mid-30s continue to sign contracts, more attention is also being paid to Ryu Hyun-jin. Associated Press
In this regard, attention will be paid to FA left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin (36) of similar age.
In ESPN's FA ranking, Maeda was expected to sign a two-year, $22 million contract, and Ryu Hyun-jin received an estimated two-year, $14 million. The evaluation of Maeda was much better.
However, other media The Athletic suggested the same amount of contracts between Maeda and Lin at $10 million a year, while Ryu Hyun-jin was expected to be slightly higher at $11 million a year + incentive. The Athletic said, "Ryu Hyun-jin has been on the decline since 2020. However, he had a longer period of outstanding performances than Maeda. As soon as he got back from TJS, he threw well."
However, it is unreasonable to directly compare Ryu Hyun-jin to Maeda, Lin, and Gibson. Ryu returned from TJS and only threw for two months. Of course, pitching 52 innings in 11 games and posting a 3.46 ERA can be considered a "successful return."
But the full-time season is a different story. There is no guarantee that Ryu Hyun-jin will build up his physical strength to play the long journey for six to seven months in a healthy body and that there is no possibility of a recurrence of injury.
First of all, the market valuation is not bad compared to the other three pitchers. Currently, Ryu Hyun-jin is likely to sign a contract with a "second-year club option" while being guaranteed an annual salary of $10 million. 메이저 토토사이트
