On the 26th, Rakuten announced that it had reached an agreement on a contract with pitcher Kenta Maeda (37), formerly of the Yankees' Triple-A team, who previously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and other teams in Major League Baseball.
Several teams, including The Giants and Yakult, were interested in acquiring the 165-win Japanese-American right-hander, who had hoped to return to the Japanese baseball world, but Rakuten, which showed enthusiasm for him as a starter and favorable conditions, won him over.
The addition of the experienced Maeda is a big plus for the pitcher team. The team finished in fourth place for the fourth consecutive year this season, and youngsters such as Shoji, in his third year, and Furukawa, in his second year, are expected to play a central role in the starting lineup. However, Hayakawa, who started the season pitcher for two consecutive years in 2012 and 2013, had surgery on his left shoulder in September and may not be able to start next season. Norimoto, who exercised his overseas FA rights, is uncertain about his future. The veteran right-hander Kishi, who will enter his 20th year next season, left-hander Fujii, who threw a team-high 109 2/3 innings this season, and former Rockies and 23-year WBC Dominican Republic representative Roancy Contreras, who agreed to a contract on April 14, are among the candidates, but Maeda's addition will certainly add depth to the starting lineup and will be a great opportunity for young players to see how the best role models can grow close to them. It will help the youngsters to grow by watching the best role models close at hand.
Maeda joined Hiroshima as a first-round draft pick in 2006, and recorded a total of 97 wins during his nine years with the team. He won many titles, including the Sawamura Award twice and Most Wins twice. He transferred to the Dodgers via the posting system in the offseason of 2015. He then played for the Twins and The Tigers, and this season began in August with the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, Scranton. Maeda, who turns 38 in April next year, will once again be seen pitching with his strength in the City of Forests.
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