Veteran pitcher Kenta Maeda is returning to Japan, with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles announcing Wednesday that they have signed the 37-year-old former Los Angeles Dodgers standout.
The deal, reported by Sankei Sports as a two-year contract worth over ¥400 million ($2.6 million), brings the Osaka native back to NPB for the first time in almost a decade. Maeda previously starred for the Central League’s Hiroshima Carp, winning the Sawamura Award as Japan’s top pitcher in 2010 and 2015.
Maeda, who spent last season with the Detroit Tigers and the Triple-A affiliates of the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees, had reportedly drawn interest from several NPB clubs before choosing the Eagles.
The move to Japan comes after Maeda struggled with consistency since signing a two-year, $24 million deal with the Detroit Tigers ahead of the 2024 season. Maeda showed diminished velocity and was prone to giving up home runs with the Tigers and was released in May.
He later signed a minor-league deal with the Chicago Cubs but failed to earn a call-up before signing with the Yankees organization.
Earlier this month, Maeda posted a farewell message on Instagram announcing his intention to transition his career back to Japan. He reflected on a decade of “unforgettable moments,” including playoff runs and a World Series appearance.
Maeda finished his career in MLB with a 68-56 record, a 4.20 ERA and 1,055 strikeouts across 986⅔ innings. He won 16 games for the Dodgers in his rookie season in 2016, finishing in third place in voting for the National League’s top rookie.
His best year was with the Twins in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in which he went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA and finished as the runner-up for the National League Cy Young Award.
Prior to making the move to MLB, Maeda pitched eight seasons in NPB, all with the Carp, compiling a 97-67 record with a 2.39 ERA.
He will join a Rakuten roster that already includes former MLB players Luke Voit and Roansy Contreras.
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