Astros deal for Kikuchi, send 3 players to Jays

HOUSTON -- The Astros landed the veteran starting pitcher they’ve been coveting by completing a deal with the Blue Jays for 33-year-old Japanese left-hander Yusei Kikuchi on Monday night. The Astros paid a huge price for Kikuchi, sending pitcher Jake Bloss (No. 9 prospect), infielder Will Wagner (No. 13 prospect) and outfielder Joey Loperfido to Toronto.

TRADE DETAILS
Houston receives: LHP Yusei Kikuchi
Toronto receives: RHP Jake Bloss (No. 9), INF Will Wagner (No. 13) and OF Joey Loperfido

Kikuchi isn’t having a great year, but he strikes out a lot of batters (130 in 115 2/3 innings) and doesn’t walk many (30), an appealing combination heading into the stretch run. Kikuchi is owed roughly $3.3 million for the rest of the season prior to becoming a free agent.

Bloss was scheduled to make his fourth career start Monday against Pirates rookie Paul Skenes, but was scratched prior to first pitch. Loperfido made his debut earlier this year and was hitting .236 with two homers and 16 RBIs, but was leading the Minor Leagues in homers with 13 when he was promoted for the first time in late April.

Wagner, the son of former Astros closer Billy Wagner, was slashing .307/.424/.429 with 55 walks and 33 strikeouts in 70 games at Triple-A.

The addition of Kikuchi fills a void in an Astros rotation that has been decimated by injuries. Justin Verlander, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier, José Urquidy and Lance McCullers Jr. are on the IL, with Javier, Urquidy and maybe McCullers out for the season. J.P. France, who began the year in the rotation, was injured at Triple-A and had season-ending surgery.

Verlander and Garcia are scheduled to face hitters on the mound Tuesday in Houston and could return next month.

The Astros could go to a six-man rotation to take some of the weight off the shoulders of Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti, who are approaching career highs in innings pitched. Arrighetti has posted a 3.91 ERA over his last four starts, including three consecutive starts of six innings.

When Kikuchi landed in Toronto on a three-year, $36 million deal, the immediate returns weren’t pretty. He posted a 5.19 ERA and eventually lost his spot in the rotation, struggling with control and confidence throughout the 2022 season. A late start in camp after signing in mid-March was certainly a factor, though, and in 2023, Kikuchi bounced back with a fantastic season, posting a career-best 3.86 ERA over a career-high 167 2/3 innings.

While his 4.75 ERA hasn’t always shown it, Kikuchi has carried that confidence into his walk year. You see it not only on the field, but in the clubhouse and around the stadium. He maximizes his smaller frame, routinely touching 97 mph from the left side, and is a gifted athlete. He’s done an even better job of limiting walks this season, and given Kikuchi’s raw stuff, he’s an excellent upside play for the stretch run, even if that does come with some added risk.