Breaking: Blue Jays Quest for Balance, Re-Signing Yusei Kikuchi for…
Wouldn’t it be funny if the Toronto Blue Jays re-signed Yusei Kikuchi?
The Blue Jays signed Kikuchi before the beginning of the 2022 season. After a dismal first season that saw him pitch out of the bullpen for the final month and a half of the season, the left-handed pitcher had a great 2023 with the team.
After parts of three seasons with the Blue Jays, Kikuchi was traded to the Houston Astros before the 2024 trade deadline for MLB-ready prospects Will Wagner, Joey Loperfido, and Jake Bloss. All three prospects have a legitimate chance of being impact players for the Jays in the future, but the trade was a win-win for both teams.
Let’s take a look at Yusei Kikuchi in the latest Free Agency Profile.
Yusei Kikuchi’s stats
Kikuchi had a strong start to his season with the Jays, but finished his 2024 season with the Jays with a 4.75 ERA and a 3.66 FIP in 115.2 innings pitched, along with a 26.2 K% and a 6 BB%. While the ERA was rough, there was certainly an intriguing pitcher in Kikuchi, and the Houston Astros paid a premium.
Without question, the package the Blue Jays got for Kikuchi was a good one. However, Kikuchi was terrific for the Astros, as he finished the season with a 2.70 ERA and a 3.07 FIP in 60 innings pitched, along with a 31.8 K% and a 5.9 BB%. Sadly, he didn’t get an opportunity to pitch in the postseason as the Astros were swept by the Detroit Tigers. Overall, Kikuchi finished the season with a 4.05 ERA and a 3.46 FIP in 175.2 innings pitched, along with a 28 K% and a 6 BB%.
Before signing his contract with the Blue Jays, it was clear that Kikuchi always had the potential. For his career, he has a 4.57 ERA and a 4.53 FIP in 809.2 innings pitched, along with a 24.1 K% and an 8.1 BB%. Since the start of the 2023 season, the lefty has a 3.96 ERA and a 3.78 FIP in 343.1 innings pitched, along with a 26.9 K% and a 6.4 BB%.
Yusei Kikuchi’s contract outlook
According to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, Kikuchi is projected to earn a three-year, $42 million deal while linking the Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, and Minnesota Twins to the left-handed pitcher.
Sportrac projects a similar deal for Kikuchi, as he has a market value of $14.9 million, with comparable contracts to José Quintana, Sean Manaea, and Michael Wacha’s contract (the first two are also free agents funnily enough).
