As first reported by MLB.com’s Yuki Yamada, the Cubs have signed 37-year-old righty Kenta Maeda to a minor league deal a week after he was released by the Tigers. A former starter for the Dodgers, Twins, and Tigers, Maeda had a 7.88 ERA over seven relief appearances this season for Detroit. His fastball is only sitting around 90 mph, but that was never his calling card.
Rather, Maeda found a great deal of success over his first several seasons behind a filthy slider and wicked splitter. Both of those pitches have fallen off considerably in recent seasons, with both generating negative value over the past two seasons.