One day after it appeared the Los Angeles Dodgers were going to open the season with an all-southpaw rotation the team has reportedly added another starter to the mix.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports is reporting the team has signed Japanese free agent Kenta Maeda.
Maeda, 27, is a veteran of Japan’s Central League posting a 97-67 record and 2.39 ERA across eight seasons with the Hiroshima Carp. He’s coming off a year where he went 15-8 with a 2.09 ERA and struck out 175 batters over 206.1 innings.
Not only has Maeda succeeded in Japan, he’s also excelled on the international stage. The right-hander represented his country in the 2013 World Baseball Classic going 2-0 allowing only two hits and one walk in ten innings while striking out 15. He was named to the tournament’s “Best-9′ team for his efforts.
With Maeda entering the fold the Dodgers now have a starting corps that includes Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Scott Kazmir, Alex Wood, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy.
The financial terms of the deal have not been released.
