Kenta Maeda (35), one of the best pitchers in Japanese professional baseball, drew attention with an option contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers with a bigger belly button than a ship ahead of the 2016 season. The Dodgers couldn't trust Maeda's elbow condition. Maeda, who had a strong will to advance to the Major League, carried out his will with a contract that received less basic salary and more incentives instead.
He was not a special pitcher in the league, but he was recognized as a solid starting agent. He played in 190 games (155 starts) in seven Major League seasons, recording 65 wins, 49 losses and a 3.92 ERA. In 2020, shortly after being traded to Minnesota, he had a good performance of 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 games, ranking second in the American League Cy Young Award.
Even Maeda had his ordeal. During the 2021 season, he broke his elbow ligament, and eventually had to undergo major reconstruction surgery (Tommy John Surgery) for an extended period of rehabilitation. This is why Maeda does not play in 2022 in his career. Maeda, who returned this year, recorded six wins, eight losses and a 4.23 ERA in 21 games (20 starts). He pitched 104 ⅓. Elbow conditions proved not to be bad, but it was not enough to make a huge flow in the free agent market.
So much attention was paid to the size of Maeda's contract. This is because how a pitcher in his mid-30s, who has just recovered from elbow surgery, and with a 4.00 ERA, is treated could be regarded as a barometer to read the market's starting demand. There were rumors that he would return to Japan, but Maeda decided to listen to offers from major league clubs. And won a relatively successful contract.
Major U.S. media reported on the 27th that "Maeda signed a two-year, $24 million contract with Detroit (about 31.4 billion won)." It is known as a two-year guarantee contract, and an official announcement is expected soon. Detroit, which is struggling in the American League Central, was selected as a team in need of reinforcing the starting rotation as Eduardo Rodriguez, who led the team's starting rotation this year, declared an opt-out (giving up remaining contracts and obtaining FA qualifications).
Maeda is not a special pitcher, but there are expectations that he will be able to play the early-mid-100 innings in 25 games if his elbow is healthy. Maeda had ups and downs this year, but he finished the season with a relatively stable pace at the end of the season. In Minnesota, where young starting pitchers are coming up, there was not a good place, but it is said to have dug into the niche well.
It is similar to veteran right-hander Lance Lynn, who recently signed a one-plus-year contract with St. Louis for a total of $25 million. Maeda was born in 1988 and Lin was born in 1987. In the end, it has been proven that players at this level can sign a one or two-year contract that is just over $10 million a year.
It is also better than expected by the existing local media. Local media usually offered a single year as Maeda's expected contract. Many media expected a one-year contract of about $10 million. However, Maeda has been proven to be in high demand for starters as he wins a two-year contract and receives an average of $12 million per year.
This is in line with the guarantees of Scott Boras, Ryu Hyun-jin's agent and Maeda's agent. Boras was confident at a press conference at the recent Major League Baseball general manager's meeting, saying, "There is a lot of demand for starters in the market." A pitcher who can throw healthy is that many teams are rushing in. This was said with Ryu Hyun-jin (36), one of his customers in the FA market, in mind, but Lin and Maeda's contract proved their expectations not wrong. 사설토토
Ryu is one year older than Maeda. Players in their mid to late 30s often have one year and one year differently. But it also has advantages over Maeda. It is a rarer left-hander in the market. And I have a better career than Maeda. Ryu Hyun-jin is 3.27, compared to Maeda's 3.92 ERA in the Major League. It can be said that the high point is also higher. Maeda's case also confirmed that the fact that a player in his mid-30s underwent elbow surgery was not a major obstacle to the contract. It can also be seen as a good sign for Ryu Hyun-jin.
Boras, who led Maeda's contract, is expected to negotiate based on this contract. Boras is certain to come up with the logic that "Ryu Hyun-jin can do anything better than Maeda." In the initial prediction of local media, Ryu Hyun-jin and Maeda were tied to a similar level, but as Maeda signed the contract first, a not bad trend was created for Ryu Hyun-jin. Ryu Hyun-jin can also sign a multi-year contract of more than two years if he decides, and maybe raise the annual average amount and leave room for FA re-entry and return to the KBO League in the future with a single-year contract. The market is by no means bad.