Reports: Ex-Jay Kikuchi to Angels on three-year deal
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Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi and the Los Angeles Angels have reached a three-year, $63 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels, according to multiple reports.
The 33-year-old split last season between the Blue Jays and Astros, going from the Toronto to Houston in a mid-season trade on July 29. He was 4-9 with a 4.75 ERA in 22 starts for the Jays but came on strong down the stretch, going 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 outings for the Astros, bringing his season ERA down to 4.05.
Kikuchi had the best season of his career the year before in 2023, going 11-6 with a 3.86 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 167.2 innings pitched.
He was the No. 13 player on TSN's Top 75 MLB Free Agents list from earlier this off-season.
Kikuchi joins a long list of free agents brought in by the Angeles this winter, including outfielder Jorge Soler, catcher Travis d'Arnaud, infielder Kevin Newman and righty Kyle Hendricks.
A native of Morioka, Japan, Kikuchi spent his first three MLB seasons with the Seattle Mariners and made the All-Star team in 2021. He joined the Jays on a three-year contract that off-season and struggled in his first year with the Jays, but rebounded in 2023.
With the Jays out of playoff contention and Kikuchi's pending free agency this winter, the Jays shipped Kikuchi to the Astros just ahead of the trade deadline for a package of prospects that included right-hander Jake Bloss, infielder Will Wagner and outfielder Joey Loperfido. While Kikuchi was lights out for Houston to close out the season, the Astros were swept by the Detroit Tigers in the American League Wild Card round and he did not see the mound in the postseason.
In 166 career big league outings -- 154 of them starts -- Kikuchi owns a 4.57 ERA with 837 punchouts in 809.2 innings pitched.