Astros Bring in Yusei Kikuchi from Blue Jays

Houston is making some big moves as the Astros have traded for left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi from the Toronto Blue Jays. In exchange, they are sending over 23-year-old righty Jake Bloss, rookie outfielder Joey Loperfido, and minor league first baseman Will Wagner.

Kikuchi, who is 33 years old, has had a tough season so far, with a record of 4-9 and an ERA of 4.75 across 22 starts. He’s struck out 130 batters but has also walked 30 in 115 and 2/3 innings pitched. Unfortunately for him, he hasn’t won a game since June 11 and is currently 0-4 with a 7.75 ERA in his last eight starts.

During his six seasons split between Seattle and Toronto, Kikuchi has a career record of 35-46 with a 4.72 ERA. This year, he is playing on the last season of a $36 million contract and will become a free agent after the World Series.

Astros manager Joe Espada expressed excitement about adding Kikuchi to their rotation, which also includes pitchers like Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez, and Spencer Arrighetti. The team is currently shorthanded, missing Justin Verlander due to neck stiffness, along with Cristian Javier and José Urquidy, who are both recovering from Tommy John surgery.

John Schneider, the Blue Jays manager, shared that letting go of Kikuchi was a tough decision. He mentioned the good relationships formed and the respect Kikuchi and Justin Turner, who was also traded to the Seattle Mariners, have earned in the league.

Bloss, initially scheduled to pitch against the Pirates, was pulled from the lineup after the trade. He was a third-round pick in the 2023 draft and made his major league debut earlier this season but currently holds an 0-1 record with a 6.94 ERA in three starts.

In the minor leagues, Bloss made 13 starts this year with a solid record of 4-2 and a remarkable 1.64 ERA. As for Wagner, he celebrated his 26th birthday yesterday and has been performing well at Triple-A Sugar Land, batting .307 with five home runs and 41 RBIs.

Astros GM Dana Brown remarked on the difficulty of giving up promising young players for a major league starter, but emphasized the goal of stabilizing their rotation to make a playoff push.

On the other hand, the Toronto Blue Jays started the season with a hefty $244 million payroll, just above the luxury tax threshold, and have been making several trades as the deadline approaches. Besides Kikuchi and Turner, they also moved catcher Danny Jansen, right-hander Nate Pearson, and Yimi García to various teams.

Loperfido, 25, has been with the big league club since April 30 and has a batting average of .236, with two homers and 16 RBIs under his belt.