The Houston Astros have mounted a major midseason comeback and now hold a significant lead in American League West as the regular season wraps up.
Looking back, one of the biggest reasons for the turnaround has been the acquisition of pitcher Yusei Kikuchi at the trade deadline. The front office flipped a significant package — including Jake Bloss, Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner — to acquire the southpaw from the Toronto Blue Jays and it has paid off. Kikuchi has maintained a 3.00 ERA as the team has won each of his nine starts so far.
The Astros can now hope that Kikuchi will be a major contributor in another deep postseason run this year. And, after the pending free agent revealed the wishlist for his next deal, it seems they can hope to retain him for the future as well.
“Obviously if I get the offer, I’ll be happy,” Kikuchi said of a potential Astros extension, through an interpreter, per The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. “But something I can say is I love all my teammates, coaches and staff. I feel comfortable here.”
Kikuchi added that he is prioritizing contention for a World Series championship, continuity for his family and “being in warmer weather” in his next team, all factors that could favor the Astros as he fields offers. Plus, he’d like to avoid the Astros’ hitters.
“Being on the other side and having to face this Houston offense, I didn’t like it,” he added, per Rome. “I felt like I was always getting hit around by this offense. Just being on this side of things helps me feel more comfortable.”
In 22 starts for the Blue Jays, the 33-year-old Kikuchi looked as if he’d be headed for a middling contract at best, with a 4.75 ERA and just four wins. But his resurgence with the Astros might have changed things, so his affection for Houston could be a pivotal advantage this winter.
The turnaround has made him a top-25 pending free agent, according to Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter, in line for a deal worth more than $10 million per season.
“He inked a three-year, $36 million contract with the Blue Jays last time he hit the open market, and even at his age he could land a similar deal this time around,” Reuter projected.
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