Yusei Kikuchi to the Angels. $63M, 3 years.
Former Blue Jay Yusei Kikuchi signs a three-year deal with the Angels
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2024, 09:30 ESTUpdated: Nov 25, 2024, 09:19 EST
The first major signing this off-season happened Monday morning involving a former Toronto Blue Jay.
According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, former Blue Jay starter Yusei Kikuchi signed a three-year, $63 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels.
This comes as a bit of a shock. For starters, the Angels were not good in 2024, finishing with a 63-99 record, the fourth-worst in the league. Moreover, they desperately need to rebuild after Shohei Ohtani departed the team after the 2023 season, yet they have committed $80 million to four free agents while no other team has done anything of note.
The #Angels have now committed 80 million dollars to 4 free agents this offseason: Hendricks 1/$2.5m; Newman 1/$2.5m; D'Anaud 2/$12m & Kikuchi 3/$63m.
Signing Kikuchi will certainly improve them, though. Last season, the 33-year-old left-handed pitcher finished with a 4.05 ERA and a 3.46 FIP in 175.2 innings pitched, along with a career-best 28 K% and a 6 BB%.
The 2024 season was Kikuchi’s final as a Jay, posting a 4.75 ERA and a 3.66 FIP in 115.2 innings pitched with the team. Before the 2024 trade deadline in late July, they sent him to the Houston Astros in exchange for Joey Loperfido, Will Wagner, and Jake Bloss.
Spending the final two months with the Astros, Kikuchi had a 2.70 ERA and a 3.07 FIP in 60 innings pitched, with a 31.8 K% and a 5.9 BB%. While the Astros won the American League West division crown, they didn’t win a postseason game as they fell to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Wild Card Series. Kikuchi was slated to start the third and final game if it got there.
Hopefully, this is the first of many free agent signings this week, as the off-season is off to a slow start once again. Teams are expected to give the best player in free agency, Juan Soto, offers this week. After the 26-year-old signs, things should get moving but expect that to happen around the Winter Meetings from December 9-12.
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.