MLB teams have until Jan. 8 to formalize a contract with Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda, who has reportedly agreed to terms with the Dodgers. (Getty Images)

The Dodgers have agreed to terms with Kenta Maeda, according to multiple reports Thursday. The Japanese right-hander was posted earlier this month by the Hiroshima Carp, with a deadline of Jan. 8 to sign a contract.

Club officials have not commented on the reports.

Maeda, who turns 28 in April, has already reportedly met with the Dodgers in person since the posting process began (and been assigned a jersey number on the Dodger Stadium video boards). He struck out 175, walked 41 and compiled a 2.09 ERA in 206 ⅓ innings last season for the Carp en route to winning the Japanese version of the Cy Young Award. It was his sixth straight season with an ERA lower than 2.60.

As the consensus best Asian pitcher on the market, Maeda is expected to command a contract in line with past Japanese stars, in addition to an expected $20 million posting fee.

The New York Yankees signed Masahiro Tanaka to a seven-year, $155 million contract in 2013. The Texas Rangers signed Yu Darvish to a six-year, $60 million contract in 2011.

Baseball America has a subscriber-only scouting report on Maeda, who throws a fastball in the 89-93 mph range as well as a slider and a changeup.

The Dodgers signed Scott Kazmir to a three-year, $48 million contract Wednesday. According to the New York Post, the Dodgers deferred payments to Kazmir over six years, which would figure to increase their financial flexibility in 2016. Maeda would join a rotation that already includes five left-handers: Kazmir, Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Alex Wood and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Ryu, however, enters the new year with some uncertainty. His 2015 season was wiped out due to shoulder labrum surgery, though he’s expected to be healthy in time to have a “normal” spring training. Still, Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi hasn’t ruled out adding another starting pitcher to the left-handed heavy rotation.

Veteran right-hander Brandon McCarthy could return from Tommy John surgery in the second half of next season, and the Dodgers are expecting prospects Julio Urias, Jose De Leon and Frankie Montas to contribute at some point in 2016.

Maeda proved durable in Japan, making no fewer than 26 starts in a season from 2009-15. He still comes with the usual asterisk for Japanese pitchers, who are accustomed to six-man starting rotations. Some scouts also view his listed weight of 150 pounds as a concern.

The Dodgers haven’t been accustomed to durability lately. Sixteen different pitchers started a game for them in 2015 and their total of 55 different players used set a franchise record.

For a list of all Japanese players in Dodgers history, click here.