Kenta Maeda’s Unexpected Rakuten Signing: What Drove Him Away From the Giants

Expectations for his off-field contributions as well

On November 26, Rakuten announced the acquisition of Kenta Maeda (37), who had played for MLB teams including the Dodgers and declared his return to Japanese baseball after 11 years.

“Since the offseason two years ago, Maeda had been telling those around him, ‘I want to return to Japan in two years and finish my career there,’ and had been making preparations. It’s said that he accepted the guest commentator role for the 2023 Japan Series between Orix and Hanshin, and also appeared on a Hiroshima local TV show last offseason, to maintain strong connections with Japanese baseball,” said a sports newspaper editor.

Regarding Maeda’s destination, it was initially believed that, partly due to his family’s wishes, he had almost narrowed it down to a team in the Tokyo area.

“His wife is from the Kanto region, so the Giants, Yakult, and DeNA were strong candidates. If he joined a team based in the Tokyo metropolitan area, the number of long-distance road trips leaving Kanto would be limited to about 40 games a year, greatly reducing the physical burden.

Since his former team, Hiroshima, did not pursue him, the Giants—who are struggling with a lack of starting pitchers and have players of the same age group such as Hayato Sakamoto and Masahiro Tanaka—were considered the most likely destination,” the editor continued.

However, the team that ended up acquiring Maeda was Rakuten—neither a Tokyo-based club nor one considered a leading candidate beforehand. What happened behind this surprise signing?

“What Maeda’s side strongly wanted was a multi-year contract. To reach his total of 200 wins across Japan and the U.S.—he’s still 35 wins short—he needs at least around five years. A one-year deal, where he could be cut after one season, simply wouldn’t work. But the Giants, who already have aging veteran pitcher Tanaka past his peak, were reluctant to take on that risk with a multi-year contract.

On top of that, manager Shinnosuke Abe (46) and other executives were reportedly more focused on other FA pitchers, which hurt Maeda’s impression of the Giants. Even though they said they wanted him, there was no direct pitch from the manager, and the offer was a one-year deal. It’s no wonder Maeda grew distrustful,” said a former Giants player.

Sensing an opportunity, Rakuten swooped in and quickly advanced negotiations. Despite being based in Sendai—and part of the Pacific League, which involves more travel—they managed to overcome the perceived disadvantage.

“They heard from Giants insiders that negotiations had hit a wall and immediately offered a multi-year contract, which paid off. Since games in Sendai would allow Maeda to return directly to his Tokyo home by Shinkansen after Sunday games or the day after pitching, the travel burden could be managed.

Even on road trips, Rakuten reportedly offered arrangements allowing him to travel directly from home instead of via Sendai. These family-friendly considerations made negotiations go even more smoothly. With that level of sincerity, it’s no surprise Maeda’s side leaned toward joining Rakuten,” the editor added.

Rakuten is also expecting Maeda to succeed off the field thanks to his popularity.

“They’re aiming to commercialize merchandise based on Maeken Gahaku’s unique drawing style, which is very popular. They’re apparently prepared to pay higher-than-usual royalties. Next year, towels featuring Maeken Gahaku’s artwork might sell like crazy at Rakuten Mobile Park,” said a Rakuten team staff member.

Will Maeda, replacing his close friend Tanaka, achieve the monumental feat of becoming the first Rakuten pitcher to reach 200 career wins?