Just over a week after he was released by the Detroit Tigers, veteran right-hander Kenta Maeda agreed to a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Maeda, 37, had a 7.88 ERA in seven relief appearances for the Tigers before he was designated for assignment on May 1 and placed on release waivers May 7.
Maeda signed a two-year, $24 million deal with the Tigers prior to the 2024 season but failed to meet expectations. He went 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA last season in 29 appearances (17 starts) before the struggles continued this season.
Maeda has a 68-56 record and a 4.20 ERA in 226 appearances (172 starts) with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-19), Minnesota Twins (2020-23) and Tigers. He missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery late in the 2021 season.
Maeda won a career-best 16 games for the Dodgers in 2016 when he placed third in National League Rookie of the Year race. He was runner-up for the American League Cy Young Award in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.