ANAHEIM -- While one veteran pitcher’s career hits a crossroads, a pitching prospect’s career begins. On Thursday, the Tigers designated veteran right-hander Kenta Maeda for assignment, potentially ending the 37-year-old’s Major League career after nine seasons across three teams.
To take Maeda’s place, Detroit called up No. 27 prospect Tyler Owens, a hard-throwing righty reliever acquired from Texas at last summer’s Trade Deadline for Carson Kelly. The 24-year-old, who made an impression in Spring Training as much for his upper-90s fastball as for his long hair and beard, joined the team at Angel Stadium.
Owens made his big league debut in the ninth inning, closing out the Tigers' 10-4 win over the Angels with a scoreless frame. He got two quick outs on infield grounders by Logan O'Hoppe and Travis d'Arnaud before a Gustavo Campero single, then he ended the game on Kyren Paris' lineout to center field.
Unless another club claims Maeda on waivers in the coming days, the Tigers will eat the remainder of his $10 million salary this year, the final season of the two-year, $24 million deal he signed to join Detroit as a free agent in November 2023.
“It’s tough,” manager A.J. Hinch said, “because when he was good, he really helped us. And when he struggled, we really didn’t get him back on track. It’s a frustrating end to his time here. We do want to create opportunity for the young players and young pitchers.”
Maeda was the Tigers’ first multi-year signing under president of baseball operations Scott Harris. The Tigers signed the former Dodger and Twin to provide experience to a young rotation featuring Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Reese Olson, but also saw Maeda as a potential upside signing in his second year back from Tommy John surgery.
However, Maeda’s game never clicked in Detroit. After a difficult Spring Training spent ramping up, Maeda struggled in the Tigers rotation for the first half of 2024, going 2-5 with a 7.26 ERA in 16 starts. A midseason move to the bullpen brought back some lost velocity and life on his splitter, and he struck out 41 batters over 42 innings of relief. But while he filled innings in the bullpen, he didn’t fill a role in the Tigers’ pitching chaos strategy that helped Detroit earn its first postseason berth in 10 years. He was left off the roster for the postseason, though he traveled with the team on the taxi squad in case of injury.
Harris said in his end-of-season remarks that the Tigers were hopeful that an earlier start to Maeda’s offseason workout and throwing program would give his arsenal a much-needed boost. But while Maeda competed for a rotation spot in Spring Training, he had little chance of beating out Mize or top prospect Jackson Jobe.
Maeda went back into the bullpen to begin the season. But unlike last year, his stuff didn’t see a boost in shorter doses. He allowed eight runs, seven earned, on nine hits over eight innings in seven appearances. Only once did he enter a game closer than three runs, and that was his first outing on March 29 at Dodger Stadium.
“Even this spring, we were excited with how he was moving and how he was throwing,” Hinch said. “And when we got to the season, things started to decline. We tried to tweak a few things and change and adapt. It wasn’t producing the stuff and it wasn’t producing results in the games.”
Twice, Maeda went nine days between outings. The second time came after he couldn’t close out the ninth inning against the Royals on April 18 despite entering with a 7-1 lead. His days seemed numbered after that.
Maeda appeared set to be the likely cut when Beau Brieske becomes eligible to return from the injured list. But with the Angels' lineup heavy on right-handed hitters and Detroit’s bullpen being used heavily against the Astros this week, the Tigers decided not to wait that long. Harris joined the team in Houston on Wednesday for the final game of their series against the Astros, then traveled with them to California, where they delivered the news to Maeda on Thursday morning.
“He was just disappointed that he didn’t get untracked, didn’t contribute more,” Hinch said. “Very respectful, as he’s always been in all our interactions. I just think it was a frustrating time for him. We’ve had a lot of success stories here with guys that haven’t gotten better, but unfortunately, we couldn’t get this one going. …
“I don’t love those conversations, regardless of the excitement you get by bringing someone fresh and new to the team.”