Dodgers are reportedly in agreement with Kenta Maeda

Maeda is coming off a year in which he threw 206.1 innings, posted an ERA of 2.09, and took home his second Sawamura Award (Japan’s equivalent to the Cy Young award).

Maeda must sign with a Major League Baseball team by Jan 8., or else he will have to return to Hiroshima for one more season. The Dodgers are loaded in their farmssystem with starting pitching.

The reported deal comes one day after the Dodgers signed free-agent starter Scott Kazmir. Multiple teams were rumored to be interested in Maeda including the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants.

Maeda is projected to a back-end type starter, who has above average control and knows how to sequence his pitches.

With Maeda entering the fold the Dodgers now have a starting corps that includes Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Scott Kazmir, Alex Wood, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy.

What exactly does Maeda bring to the Dodgers?

Dodgers General Manager Farhan Zaidi and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman told the media on Wednesday, that they were not done making moves and they would still look to make additions to the team before pitchers and catchers report to spring training at the end of February.

Maeda’s contract is reportedly for eight years though that hasn’t been confirmed by the Dodgers, who will pay Hiroshima a fee of $20 million, the maximum allowed under the posting agreement between MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

“Fantasy Impact: Maeda is a 6’0” 154-pound right-handed pitcher from Japan.