Former MLB Pitcher Kenta Maeda Plans Return to Japan 2026

Veteran pitcher Kenta Maeda, who has spent nearly a decade in Major League Baseball with stints at the Dodgers, Twins, and Tigers, announced he plans to return to Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball in 2026 after the conclusion of this MLB season. Maeda signed a two-year, $24 million deal with the Detroit Tigers for 2024 but struggled significantly, posting a 7.88 ERA over eight innings before being released and subsequently signing minor league deals with the Cubs and Yankees. His MLB career highlights include finishing second in AL Cy Young voting in 2020 with the Twins and excelling as a postseason reliever for the Dodgers. Despite the Tigers' greater financial commitment compared to the Twins' one-year offer, Maeda decided this would be his final year in the U.S., aiming to finish his career back in Japan. The 37-year-old expressed that he did not want to continue in the minors and was ready to give his all in his last MLB season. His return to Nippon Professional Baseball depends on receiving an offer, but he has already made up his mind to end his MLB tenure this year.