The Detroit Tigers appear to be locked in on one particular veteran arm.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Friday that the Tigers’ pursuit of free-agent righty Kenta Maeda has intensified in recent days. Morosi notes that previous reports had stated that the Detroit has “serious interest” in Maeda this offseason.
Maeda, 35, was a Cy Young finalist for the Minnesota Twins during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when he went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 11 starts. This past season for the Twins, he posted a 6-8 record with a 4.23 ERA with 117 strikeouts in 20 starts.
At this juncture of his career, Maeda has a lot of tread on his tires. He pitched for almost a decade in Japan before joining MLB in 2016 and has a 2021 Tommy John surgery under his belt. But he still has good swing-and-miss stuff and an ability to eat innings as a reliable mid-rotation starter. That could prove useful for the Tigers, who sold off some pitching talent at last season’s trade deadline.
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