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Although he has shown flashes of brilliance this season, Yusei Kikuchi of the Toronto Blue Jays has not had an easy 2024. Now, it looks like the Japanese starter may be hours away from finding himself on a new team.
On Monday, MLB analyst Jon Morosi shared a post on X in which he shared some information on Kikuchi's trade interest. According to Morosi, several contending teams are interested. Morosi went on to claim that a trade involving the southpaw is "very likely" to be hammered out before the deadline, set for 6 pm ET on Tuesday.
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"The Dodgers are among the teams discussing Yusei Kikuchi trade proposals with the Blue Jays. The Twins, Padres and Astros also are involved. A Kikuchi deal is seen as very likely before 6 pm ET tomorrow. @MLBNetwork" - Jon Morosi
Born in Japan in 1991, the 33-year-old attended the same high school as Shohei Ohtani. After posting the best ERA figure of his career in 2023, Kikuchi has struggled to a 4-9 record and a 4.75 ERA. With the Toronto Blue Jays' 49-56 record placing them well outside the scope of the postseason, trading the former All-Star is seen as the most logical choice from a Toronto standpoint.
According to Morosi, the Los Angeles Dodgers are among the top teams showing interest in Kikuchi. Over the past thirty days, injuries in their rotation have saddled the Dodgers with an MLB-worst ERA of 5.65 since June 30. Kikuchi, who has pitched well on occasion this season, could be used in a starter or relief capacity by LA.
"13 strikeouts = a NEW career-high for Yusei Kikuchi" - Toronto Blue Jays
The Astros, Padres, and Minnesota Twins were other teams interested. Houston and San Diego have both seen an ascent in the standings and are looking to beef up their respective rotations. For the Twins, the addition of a leftie like Kikuchi into their lineup would add a degree of strategic flexibility.
Yusei Kikuchi waves emotional farewell to Toronto
Last Friday, Kikuchi made what many expected to be his last start in a Jays uniform. Despite giving up five runs, the game was saved by a walk-off RBI single from Ernie Clement. After the game, Yusei Kikuchi told MLB.com:
“I gave up five runs today and the fans still gave me a standing ovation, It was a pretty cool moment. As I came into the dugout, Schneider, Pete [Walker, pitching coach], the other coaches and my teammates were saying thank you. In that moment, just thinking about the past three years, I got a little emotional.”
While nobody yet knows what is next for Kikuchi, he has shown himself to be a capable pitcher over his tenure in MLB. Now, whichever team scoops him up next will undoubtedly be hoping for his very best.
