Cubs take flier on former Cy Young runner-up to bolster pitching depth

The Chicago Cubs are dealing with some pitching woes, as Justin Steele is out for the season due to UCL surgery, and Shota Imanaga is on the 15-day injured list due to a hamstring strain. With the Cubs without their top two starting pitchers, they decided to add some depth on Thursday by signing a former Cy Young runner-up, potentially as an option in the rotation or out of the bullpen.

According Yuki Yamada of MLB.com, the Cubs are signing former Detroit Tigers right-handed pitcher Kenta Maeda to a minor league contract. Recently, the Tigers designated Maeda for assignment after a rough start to the season.

Yamada says Maeda could have a start as soon as this week.

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Cubs reportedly sign Kenta Maeda to a minor-league contract

Maeda had pitched in seven games this season for the Tigers, primarily out of the bullpen, where he recorded a 7.88 ERA, a 1.875 WHIP, eight strikeouts, and six walks in 8.0 innings of work. After the seventh game, where he pitched one scoreless inning against the Houston Astros on Apr. 29, the Tigers informed Maeda they were designating hm for assignment.

Before joining the Tigers, Maeda spent his first four years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he accumulated a 3.87 ERA, a 47-35 win-loss record, 641 strikeouts, and 178 walks in 137 games (589.0 innings). After the 2019 season, the Dodgers traded Maeda to the Minnesota Twins.

In his first season with the Twins, Maeda recorded a 2.70 ERA, a major league best 0.790 WHIP, a 6-1 win-loss record, 80 strikeouts, and 10 walks in 66.2 innings (11 starts). As a result of those numbers in the 2020 truncated season, Maeda finished in second place in AL Cy Young Award voting, losing out to Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians.

Maeda signed with the Tigers in 2024 on a two-year, $24 million contract. In his first year, Maeda recorded a 6.09 ERA, a 1.380 WHIP, a 3-7 win-loss record, 96 strikeouts, and 31 walks in 112.1 innings (29 games, 17 starts).

It will be interesting to see what the Cubs have planned for Maeda. So far, per Yamada, Maeda will start for Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.