The Angels have been probably the most aggressive crew in baseball throughout the first month of the offseason, and so they continued that sample this morning by reaching an settlement with free agent left-hander Yusei Kikuchi on a three-year deal value $63MM, per a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Kikuchi is represented by the Boras Company.
Kikuchi, 33, spent 9 seasons pitching for NPB’s Seibu Lions earlier than he was posted for main league golf equipment previous to his age-28 marketing campaign throughout the 2018-19 offseason. The lefty landed with the Mariners on a fancy contract that assured the southpaw $56MM over 4 years, with the fourth yr being a $13MM participant choice that the Mariners might preempt by choosing up a four-year membership choice value $66MM.
Sophisticated as that contract was, nevertheless, Kikuchi’s time in Seattle was each disappointing and easy. The lefty struggled over his first two seasons within the majors, posting a lackluster 5.39 ERA and 5.17 FIP between the 2019 and ’20 seasons.
He managed to show issues round a bit in 2021, nevertheless, with a 4.41 ERA (96 ERA+) and a 4.61 FIP. Whereas these numbers hardly leap off the web page, Kikuchi was an All-Star in 2021 and seemed dominant at occasions, with a 2.33 ERA and a 27.5% strikeout fee in an 11-start stretch from late April to early July. Kikuchi took a chance and entered free company regardless of his uneven season. That call wound up paying off, as he would ultimately signal with the Blue Jays on a three-year, $36MM contract. His time in Toronto began off very similar to his keep in Seattle, as he struggled badly in 2022 to the tune of a 5.19 ERA and 5.62 FIP in 100 2/3 innings of labor cut up between the bullpen and rotation.
The lefty lastly figured issues out on the age of 32 final season, nevertheless, and confirmed off the constant, mid-rotation manufacturing each the Mariners and Jays had dreamed on when signing him. In 32 begins for Toronto in 2023, Kikuchi pitched to a strong 3.86 ERA with a 25.9% strikeout fee towards a 6.9% stroll fee. That strong marketing campaign appeared to tee the lefty up for one more regular season in 2024, although he as soon as once more confronted a lot of ups and downs. Kikuchi’s time in Toronto this yr noticed him drastically underperform his underlying metrics, as he pitched to a lackluster 4.75 ERA regardless of his 26.2% strikeout fee and 6% stroll fee each being enhancements over the earlier season. Regardless of that ugly ERA, the lefty had a 3.66 FIP, 3.51 SIERA, and three.43 xFIP throughout his 22 begins with the Blue Jays this yr.
These thrilling peripherals absolutely helped persuade the Astros to bundle kids Jake Bloss, Joey Loperfido, and Will Wagner in a commerce with the Jays that introduced Kikuchi to Houston for the stretch run. That was a hefty worth to pay for a rental, however the lefty made good on his price ticket with ten dazzling begins for the Astros following the commerce deadline. He racked up 60 innings of two.70 ERA ball, struck out a whopping 31.8% of opponents whereas strolling simply 5.9%, and improved his total season numbers to a league common 4.05 ERA with a 3.46 FIP that was good for the Sixteenth-best mark amongst all certified massive leaguers this yr, sandwiched comfortably between high free agent starters Max Fried (3.33) and Jack Flaherty (3.48).
Now, the Angels are betting on these wonderful peripherals simply as their division rivals in Houston did over the summer season. Amidst a busy November the place they’ve already struck early to land Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud, Kevin Newman, and Kyle Hendricks through commerce and free company, the membership has now gone out of its typical consolation zone to signal Kikuchi to the most important assure the Angels have given a free agent starter since right-hander C.J. Wilson’s five-year, $77.5MM deal in 2011. Kikuchi is simply the second starter the membership has signed to a multi-year pact since then, becoming a member of future rotation-mate Tyler Anderson. Kikuchi, Anderson, and Hendricks determine to create a veteran nucleus for Anaheim’s beginning workers subsequent yr that might assist to take strain of youthful arms similar to Reid Detmers, Chase Silseth, and Jack Kochanowicz.
Whereas Kikuchi’s up-and-down efficiency could trigger his new deal to lift some eyebrows, the pact is true in keeping with the $60MM over three years that MLBTR predicted for the lefty on our annual Top 50 MLB free agents list. Kikuchi ranked twelfth total and sixth amongst starters on that listing, inserting him firmly behind top-of-the-class arms like Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, and Fried however in an identical dialog as fellow southpaw Sean Manaea among the many higher mid-tier choices available on the market. Notably, Kikuchi was unencumbered by a Qualifying Supply after being rendered ineligible by the midseason commerce that shipped him to Houston. That absolutely made him extra engaging to an Angels membership that has relied closely on the draft lately whereas fast-tracking gamers similar to Nolan Schanuel, Zach Neto, and Ben Joyce to the majors.
Previous to signing with Anaheim this morning, Kikuchi had been related to the Cubs in free company because the membership seemingly plans to deal with the mid-tier of the beginning pitching market this winter with a choice in direction of hurlers not encumbered by a QO. The Braves and Rangers are among the many different groups rumored to be buying in an identical tier of the market, and any crew that missed out on Kikuchi ought to nonetheless have a number of choices at their disposal this winter. Flaherty, Nathan Eovaldi, Matthew Boyd, and Andrew Heaney are among the many pitchers remaining unencumbered by the QO anticipated to land multi-year offers, and fascinating one-year choices similar to Walker Buehler and Max Scherzer additionally stay on the desk.
