The Dodgers, pioneers in introducing Asian pitchers with Hideo Nomo and Chan Ho Park, hope Maeda, the slender right-hander from Japan, follows their history of success with Nomo, Park and, most recently, Hyun-Jin Ryu.
Maeda, who turns 28 on April 11, has pitched at least 206 innings in four of his seven seasons with Hiroshima and no fewer than 175. He has a 2.39 career ERA and a 1.048 WHIP, and he has done some of his best work under the pressures of the World Baseball Classic.
Nomo, at 26 in 1995, led the NL in strikeouts with 236, going 13-6 with a 2.