Diamondbacks GM: Kenta Maeda a more realistic signing than Lester, Scherzer or Shields
Newly appointed Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart will not be making a big splash in the free agent pool by signing one of the top pitchers available, he revealed during a radio appearance Sunday.
More Stewart: "I would probably say we have a better opportunity to look at a Kenta] Maeda vs. a Scherzer or a Lester or even a Shields"
— MLB Network Radio (@MLBNetworkRadio) November 9, 2014
Maeda still needs to be posted by his Japanese club, however, in order to officially sign with a MLB club.
The right-hander will surely draw interest from several clubs if his current team cuts him loose. His resume speaks for itself: 2.44 ERA, 1,058 strikeouts in 1,303 1/3 innings spanning seven seasons. He's also tossed 23 complete games - 10 of those shutouts.
The 26-year-old hurler doesn't boast an arsenal of pitches worthy of a front-end starter like Yu Darvish or Masahiro Tanaka, but projects to be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter in the majors.
Maeda will pitch against the MLB All-Stars touring Japan next week, and scouts will surely be watching to see how effective he is against big-league talent.