Yankees add pitching depth, sign Maeda to minor-league deal

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have signed right-hander Kenta Maeda to a minor league deal.

New York announced the move on Monday. The 37-year-old Maeda had been pitching for Triple-A Iowa, the top minor league affiliate for the Chicago Cubs, but he was released on Saturday.

The Yankees assigned Maeda to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Maeda had a 7.88 ERA in seven relief appearances for Detroit before he was designated for assignment on May 1. He went 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 17 starts and 12 relief appearances in his first year with the Tigers after agreeing to a $24 million, two-year contract in November 2023.

Maeda pitched well in his last two starts with Iowa, allowing one run and five hits in 12 innings. He went 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 12 starts with the Triple-A team overall.

Maeda made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, going 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 32 starts. He went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts for Minnesota during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, finishing second in AL Cy Young Award balloting.

Maeda, who missed the 2022 season because of Tommy John surgery, is 68-56 with a 4.20 ERA in 226 major league games, including 172 starts.

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