Dodgers Put Maeda Deal On Hold

As previously reported, the LA Dodgers and Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda had agreed to an eight year deal, ending all speculation of which MLB team would be the lucky winners.

But, it seems that the future of Maeda with the Dodgers is currently on hold. The reigning National League West Champions have some concern about possible damage to the twenty-seven year old’s elbow that was found during a mandatory physical before the deal was signed.

It is almost a guarantee that the right-hander will have to undergo Tommy John surgery within the next three to four years, so whether they want to invest in him for eight years may not be  in the cards.

Maeda suffered from elbow issues in 2013 and 2014 while playing in Japan but then went on to have a successful 2015 season with a 15-8 record.

The deal the Dodgers and Maeda  had negotiated was eight years, worth $25 million and loaded with incentives each season. It looks like  the Dodgers will re-negotiate with Maeda perhaps offering less years and money and even more incentives, which would prevent any loss of money to the Dodgers.

But, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if the Dodgers decided to back out completely. This off-season alone the club has  backed out of a deal with reliever Aroldis Chapman after allegations of domestic violence surfaced and a deal with Hisashi Iwakuma upon discovering that he had a possible shoulder injury which led him to re-sign with the Mariners.

Maeda’s team the Hiroshima Carp, gave him just thirty days to talk to MLB teams and that deadline is just a few days away, making it imperative that the Dodgers negotiate some sort of deal sooner rather than later.