Kikuchi agrees to join Angels on 3-year deal (source)

ANAHEIM -- The Angels have been the most aggressive club in free agency this offseason and kept it up with their first big splash, agreeing to terms with lefty Yusei Kikuchi early Monday. The deal is the largest since Perry Minasian became general manager in 2020, as it’s a three-year, $63 million deal, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

The club has not confirmed the agreement, which was originally reported by MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. But it represents a solid upgrade to the rotation after the Angels also signed right-hander Kyle Hendricks to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million. Kikuchi immediately becomes one of the club’s best starting pitchers and can help the Angels compete after their 99-loss campaign in ’24.

The 33-year-old left-hander is coming off an intriguing season in which he put together one of the finest stretches of his Major League career following a midseason trade to the Astros.

Kikuchi, who began his professional career with eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, spent his first three Major League seasons with the Mariners before signing a three-year, $36 million contract with the Blue Jays ahead of the 2022 season. Between Seattle and Toronto, he pitched to a 4.72 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP.

As with many previous Astros acquisitions, Kikuchi improved dramatically after his July 29 trade, making 10 starts down the stretch, posting a 2.70 ERA with a 0.93 WHIP and 76 strikeouts in 60 innings. Among the changes the Astros made to the veteran’s repertoire was a stronger reliance on his slider; by September, he was throwing 38.9% sliders compared to just 36.6% four-seam fastballs, increasing the effectiveness of both pitches.

Kikuchi joins a rotation that includes lefty Tyler Anderson, right-handers José Soriano and Jack Kochanowicz and Hendricks. The fifth spot is up for grabs and the Angels have several internal candidates, such as Reid Detmers, Chase Silseth, Caden Dana and Sam Aldegheri.

It’s been a busy offseason for the Angels, who also traded for slugger Jorge Soler and signed free agent catcher Travis d’Arnaud, utilityman Kevin Newman and Hendricks to bolster their depth. They also traded for infielder Scott Kingery and claimed infielder/outfielder Ryan Noda on waivers. Kukuchi’s signing is the largest for the club since they signed reliever Raisel Iglesias to a four-year, $58 million deal before the 2022 season.

Kukuchi also represents the club’s first Japanese player since the departure of Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers last offseason. The Angels still retain a large Japanese fanbase because of Ohtani’s six years with the club.