Kenta Maeda Contract: Breaking down $24,000,000 deal of Tigers' newest recruit

On Monday, the Detroit Tigers announced they had signed free-agent pitcher Kenta Maeda. He will join a Tigers team that ended the back half of the 2023 season on a high note with their 39-34 record.

Maeda and Detroit agreed to a two-year, $24 million deal. He will earn $14 million during the 2024 season and $10 million in 2025.

Kenta Maeda will be 36 years old two weeks into the season. He was considered a mid-tier starting pitcher on the open market, coming off of Tommy John surgery that knocked him out for the 2022 season.

Maeda started 20 games for the Minnesota Twins last season. During that time, he compiled a 6-8 record with a 4.23 ERA and 117 strikeouts on 104.1 innings of work.

Kenta Maeda joins the Twins' rivals

Division Series - Houston Astros v Minnesota Twins - Game Three

The Minnesota Twins were interested in re-signing Kenta Maeda in the offseason. However, they were only interested in bringing him back if they could do it on a one-year deal. With the Detroit Tigers offering him multiple years, that like sealed the deal for him.

Now, Minnesota will have to deal with him staying in the division. This could come to haunt them, given how former players typically have standout performances against their former teams.

Detroit needed to make this move with the possibility of Eduardo Rodrguez leaving in the winter. Rodriguez is one of the top starters on the open market, and re-signing him will not be cheap.

Now, the Tigers do not need to worry about replacing the veteran in their rotation. They can spend the rest of their offseason worrying about finding payers that fit their system.

Detroit may look at getting some middle-infield help in free agency. Look for them to be interested in someone like Amed Rosario or Adam Frazier.