6:55pm: There’s a deal in place sending Kikuchi to Houston, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
6:44pm: The Astros are nearing a deal for Yusei Kikuchi that’ll ship rookie righty Jake Bloss again to Toronto, studies Jim Bowden of the Athletic (X hyperlink). It’s unclear whether or not Houston is together with every other gamers.
Kikuchi is behind Jack Flaherty as arguably the second-best rental starter in the marketplace. Houston was tied to Flaherty in addition to extra controllable pitchers like Jameson Taillon, Erick Fedde and Zach Eflin final week. There was by no means a lot doubt that the Astros would herald a starter, as normal supervisor Dana Brown hasn’t been shy concerning the crew’s want for a mid-rotation arm. The asking worth at all times on Flaherty at all times appeared prefer it is perhaps past Houston’s consolation zone, making Kikuchi a wise fallback.
The 33-year-old Kikuchi has had combined outcomes this season and all through his profession extra broadly. Over 115 2/3 innings this 12 months, he carries a 4.75 ERA that’s proper consistent with his 4.72 mark in components of six MLB campaigns. Kikuchi’s strikeout and stroll profile is sort of a bit extra spectacular than that run prevention determine suggests. He has punched out 26.2% of opposing hitters whereas strolling solely 6% of batters confronted. Amongst pitchers with 100+ innings, Kikuchi ranks nineteenth in strikeout proportion and sixteenth in strikeout/stroll charge differential. He’s getting swinging strikes at a 12.4% charge that locations him among the many high 30 in that group.
A .340 common on balls in play and modest 70.6% left on base charge have nonetheless pushed his ERA shut to five.00. These marks have been nearer to league common in 2023, when the Japanese southpaw turned in a 3.86 ERA over 32 begins with related strikeout and stroll charges as he’s posted this season. Houston is betting on constructive regression in these sequencing and batted ball outcomes.
Groups have lengthy been intrigued by Kikuchi, who boasts among the finest uncooked stuff of any left-hander in baseball. His fastball sits north of 95 MPH and he has the power to overlook bats with all 4 of his choices (four-seam, curveball, slider, changeup). Kikuchi has had a tough time retaining the ball within the park all through his MLB profession, although. He’s permitting homers at an elevated 1.32 clip per 9 this season and has given up extra longballs than the common pitcher in each full season of his main league tenure. Proper-handed batters have typically given him bother, although he’s holding them a extra manageable .280/.323/.441 slash in 409 plate appearances this season.
Whereas Kikuchi isn’t with out flaws, he’s a plug-and-play choice for the center of a Houston rotation that definitely wanted one. The Astros have been hit laborious by beginning pitching accidents all 12 months. They misplaced Cristian Javier and José Urquidy to Tommy John surgical procedure. Depth starter J.P. France went down with a season-ending shoulder subject. Justin Verlander has had two injured listing stints and has been shelved because the center of June due to neck soreness. Lance McCullers Jr. has hit continued snags in his effort to return from a flexor tendon surgical procedure. They needed to decelerate Luis Garcia in his work again from Tommy John surgical procedure, although he’s again to throwing bullpen classes after being pulled off a minor league rehab stint earlier this month.
Framber Valdez is main the rotation and has a 3.43 ERA over 18 begins. Hunter Brown has bounced again from a disastrous April and pitched like a top-of-the-rotation arm for the final three months. Ronel Blanco has been a godsend after accidents pushed him into the fifth starter function out of camp. He carries a 2.95 ERA throughout 119 frames.
Extra to come back.
