Former Cy Young contender and one-time Tigers disappointment Kenta Maeda has endured a rough 2025 season. The Tigers finally decided to cut their losses, releasing him in early May and absorbing the remainder of his salary for the year. Since then, Maeda has bounced around MLB’s minor league system—first with the Cubs, who released him in early August, and now with the Yankees on another minor league deal.
He showed promise in his initial start with Triple-A Scranton, but Tigers fans weren’t surprised when his August 28 outing against the Syracuse Mets turned into a disaster: three innings, 11 hits, and 10 runs allowed. A call-up to the Yankees seems extremely unlikely anytime soon.
Maeda appears to be looking ahead, telling Japanese news program Sports Real Live that he plans to leave MLB at the end of 2025 and return to Japan’s NPB. He spent eight seasons with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, winning a Triple Crown in 2010 before making the jump to the majors.
He added that even a successful MLB season wouldn’t have changed his decision—but Tigers fans may not be so quick to take him at his word.
Tigers contract bust Kenta Maeda announces intention to leave MLB after 2025 season
Maeda finished his brief stint in Detroit with a 7.88 ERA over eight innings out of the bullpen and has struggled to find consistency in Triple-A, posting a 6.25 ERA across 76⅓ innings with the Cubs’ and Yankees’ minor league affiliates. While he’s shown occasional flashes of brilliance—stringing together a few six- or seven-inning scoreless outings—his overall volatility has made it unlikely that any MLB team will give him another shot at the majors.
For Tigers fans, however, the team finally having the courage to release him was a welcome development. It would have been far more typical for Detroit to keep paying him, barely using him, and enduring poor performances just to avoid eating his salary.
The move was exciting not just because Maeda was off the roster, but also because it signaled that the Tigers were serious about competing this season. Over the past few months, their bullpen has emerged as one of the team’s greatest strengths, and letting Maeda go reinforced that focus.
All the best to Maeda in his second stint in Japan’s NPB—here’s hoping it proves far more successful than his final years in the majors.
