pitcher Kenta Maeda, who joined Rakuten Eagles Golden Eagles, opened his voluntary training session to the public in Okinawa Prefecture on the 10th. He warmed up by catch and sprinting. The experienced right-hander, who returned to Japanese baseball after an 11-year absence, said with a cheerful voice, "I'm excited to be playing for a new team and in Japan for the first time in a while. I'm approaching this voluntary training session with a fresher feeling than usual, so I'm practicing with great excitement."
He transferred to the Dodgers via the posting system in the offseason of 2015, winning 16 games in his first year in the US, and recording double-digit win in 2017 and 2019. After leaving The Tigers last season, he signed a minor league contract with the Cubs in May and played for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, Scranton, starting in August. This offseason, he says he's speeding up his training pace compared to when he was in the US. "I'm training a little earlier. In the US, we join the team in mid-February and practice with the team, so I have to move up by about two weeks. I wondered if I could keep it at my usual pace, but I think the first start with a new team is very important, so I'm trying to get ready a little earlier so I can join in good condition and show good performance," he revealed.
The right-handed pitcher, who has a total of 165 wins in Japan and the U.S., is expected to be a key player in the starting rotation. "I believe that the only thing I can do is produce results, so I want to pitch a lot for the team and win a lot. I will do my best to contribute so that we can become the best in Japan," he said, exuding determination.
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