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The LA Dodgers have added yet another strong arm to their rotation with the signing of Japanese standout Kenta Maeda.
The twenty-seven year old right-hander,who played with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, reportedly signed an eight year deal worth $24 million and loaded with incentives worth an extra $10-12 million extra each season. Although his current team allowed him to be available to talk with MLB teams, the Dodgers reportedly had to pay $20 million to negotiate with Maeda.
Maeda’s accomplishments include being the youngest pitcher in Japanese Baseball History to earn the pitching equivalent of the Triple Crown. He also has won the Sawamura Award, the Japanese version of the Cy Young Award in 2010 and this past season in 2015.
With a lefty dominant lineup, especially with the recent signing of Scott Kazmir, the Dodgers will benefit greatly with the addition of Maeda. He has both a four-seam and a two-seam fastball in the high 80’s to low 90’s which have dominant command, both these pitches being his most used. His best pitch is his slider which sits in the low 80’s. Other pitches he has in his arsenal are a curveball and a change-up that is just about average when it comes to speed and command.
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