Yankees Secure Kenta Maeda with Minor League Contract
The New York Yankees have reached an agreement with right-handed pitcher Kenta Maeda, who signed a minor league contract.
The announcement was made this Monday by the New York organization. Maeda, 37 years old, was pitching for the Triple-A Iowa team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, but was released on Saturday.
The Yankees have assigned Maeda to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre team.
Maeda had an ERA of 7.88 in seven relief appearances for Detroit before being designated for assignment on May 1. In his first year with the Tigers, after agreeing to a two-year, $24 million contract in November 2023, he had a 3-7 record with a 6.09 ERA in 17 starts and 12 relief appearances.
In his last two starts with Iowa, Maeda performed well, allowing one run and five hits in 12 innings. Overall, he had a 3-4 record with a 4.85 ERA in 12 starts with the Triple-A team.
Maeda debuted in the Major Leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, achieving a record of 16-11 with an ERA of 3.48 in 32 starts. In the 2020 season, shortened by the pandemic, he had a record of 6-1 with an ERA of 2.70 in 11 starts for Minnesota, finishing second in the voting for the American League Cy Young Award.
Maeda, who missed the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery, has a 68-56 record with a 4.20 ERA in 226 major league games, including 172 starts.
