A stunning first-round exit from the Major League Baseball playoffs, the Houston Astros are facing earlier-than-expected questions about who has played their final game in blue and orange.
Justin Verlander is almost certainly gone, and fellow free agent Alex Bregman is the subject of much speculation. However, one Astros newcomer who quickly proved his worth may have also priced himself out of Houston.
Astros general manager Dana Brown gave up a princely sum of prospects to the Toronto Blue Jays for starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi at the trade deadline in July. He took some heat in doing so, as the left-hander posted stats that seemed to belie his talent over the course of a six-year MLB career.
Yet, while Kikuchi brought a 4.75 ERA from Toronto, he posted a 2.70 ERA with a 5-1 record and 76 strikeouts over 10 late-season starts for Houston.
It's just those kinds of numbers that may have made Kikuchi a handsome target for a team with more payroll flexibility, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Brown told the Chronicle that the Astros 2025 pitching rotation "is going to be pretty stacked" with the return of currently injured arms Jose Urquidy and Cristian Javier. Houston's staff already figures to feature Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez, and Spencer Arrighetti.
Depending on how (and how much) owner Jim Crane decides to loosen the pursestrings this offseason and whether the team decides to bring back Bregman, Kikuchi could find himself sliding down the Astros' list of offseason priorities.
With the possibility of a contract in excess of $100 million over four or five years suddenly in grasp for the 33-year-old hurler, the next time Houston fans see Kikuchi, he may very well be wearing an opponent's uniform.
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