Kenta Maeda was the Tigers’ biggest signing of the 2023-24 offseason, but his tenure in Detroit got off to a disappointing start. Entering the first season of a two-year, $24MM contract, he gave up three hits and six runs over 3 1/3 innings in his Tigers debut. It was more of the same in his first 16 starts: 65 2/3 innings, 15 home runs, and a 7.26 ERA. Detroit went 5-11 in those contests. While his 4.88 SIERA suggested he would bounce back well, it still ranks him among the 10 lowest pitchers (min. 60 IP) in the American League.
So, just before the All-Star break, the Tigers decided to move Maeda to the bullpen permanently — though not permanently. Indeed, he still took the workload in his first bullpen appearance, throwing at least 80 pitches in the bullpen four separate times. He also started the final game of the regular season after the Tigers had already clinched the Wild Card. Now, he’s back in contention for a role in the first round in 2025.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris spoke to members of the media (including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press) at the GM Meetings in San Antonio, where he made it clear that Maeda “will have every opportunity to get a job” with the Tigers. exchange this spring. POBO acknowledged that Maeda’s raw materials and brilliance were lacking at the beginning of the year but noted that the veteran looked much stronger in the summer months. “I thought he gave us a good call,” explained Harris.
Indeed, Maeda put up the best numbers in the bullpen, posting a 3.86 ERA and 3.23 SIERA over 42 innings in July, August, and September. However, he struggled again when he returned for the 162nd game, giving up five runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. Still, it’s no surprise that the Tigers are giving him another shot at a starting role. With a $10MM salary for 2025, he is currently the highest paid pitcher on the team. He also has a long record of success as a starter, with a career 4.23 ERA and 3.91 FIP in 171 major league starts. In addition, he was outstanding in his final season with full health, posting a 2.70 ERA and 2.92 SIERA in 2020 on his way to second place in the AL Cy Young. Granted, that was several years ago and an abbreviated season, but the point is that Maeda has been the most successful first baseman in a very long time. Finally, the Tigers have no locks for the 2025 rotation beyond the ace Tarik Skubal and promising young righty Reese Olson. Even if they make a few additions, there will be a battle for at least one spot in the rotation this spring.
Harris also insisted that the team “could have done a better job” preparing Maeda last winter as he transitioned from the Twins to the Tigers. Until then, the Tigers have devised a new system for the right-hander this offseason. As part of that plan, Petzold suggests that Maeda will be pitching regularly over the coming months; last year, he only threw one bullpen session at home in Japan before returning stateside for spring training.
It is far from guaranteed that Maeda will seek his job back in the rotation. Even if he does, there is no guarantee that he will stay there for the whole year. He will turn 37 next April, an age when it would be reasonable to worry about his performance even if he wasn’t an injured pitcher coming off a terrible season. And with the Tigers officially entering their contention window, they can’t give him as long a leash as they might have in years past. If Maeda is going to be a significant contributor for the Tigers next season, he will have to find it by looking like his younger self and the starter he was in 2024.
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