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The Toronto Blue Jays nailed the Yusei Kikuchi trade return from the Houston Astros
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Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Tyson Shushkewich
Jul 29, 2024, 22:15 EDTUpdated: Jul 29, 2024, 22:26 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays have dealt their biggest trade asset at the deadline, sending left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to the Houston Astros in exchange for right-hander Jake Bloss, outfielder Joey Loperdifo, and infield prospect Will Wagner.
This move is just the latest in a flurry of activity by the Jays’ front office. The club has also traded other expiring contracts over the past few days, including RHP Yimi Garcia, 1B/DH Justin Turner, catcher Danny Jansen, and RHP Nate Pearson (the only one with control beyond this offseason), as the team looks to reset for the 2025 season.
Given the disdain for Ross Atkins and the front office amongst the Blue Jays fanbase this season, the initial reaction on social media was predictably filled with anger and disappointment – especially since it involved Kikuchi.
This frustration has been fueled by the team’s lack of postseason success, the painful rebuild and trade of veteran players early in their tenure, and slow progress on extension talks with core players – a slow progression that has amounted to questions on whether Atkins will be around once the season comes to a close. The “Fire Ross Atkins” chants at Rogers Centre last week were just the latest manifestation of this sentiment.

Early reaction – the Blue Jays prevail in the Yusei Kikuchi deal

However, if we focus solely on the trade with Houston involving Kikuchi, it is challenging to view this deal as a loss for the Blue Jays’ front office, regardless on any personal feelings related to the valid points mentioned earlier
Let’s dive a bit deeper into this trade.
Kikuchi bounced back last season after a dismal 2022 campaign that had fans fearing the three-year contract would become a burden on an organization looking to win in October. At the start of the 2024 season, the Japanese product continued this hot stretch from 2023 and was excellent out of the gate in the Blue Jays rotation.
Through his first 11 starts, he posted a 2.25 ERA and a 2.85 FIP, allowing just 22 earned runs over 61 innings. He held opponents to a .666 OPS and threw strikes at a 66% rate, evidenced by his 13 walks compared to 61 strikeouts as he commanded the strike zone and had opponents walking back to the dugout in quick succession.
The southpaw was firing on all cylinders, using his four-seam fastball effectively alongside his curveball, slider, and changeup to keep hitters off balance when he could locate his pitches. His flyball percentage is slightly above his career numbers (29.6% compared to 23.8%), but his HR/9 rate is currently 1.3, which is lower than his 1.4 rate from last season.
From being an initial ‘burden contract’ to becoming a fan favourite with a “Kikuchi’s Corner” produced by the Gate 14 podcast on select game days, the 33-year-old has quickly captured the hearts of Toronto fans due to his personality and clubhouse presence.
This makes the trade a bit more of a gut punch compared to others over the past few days, trailing only Danny Jansen, who wins the ‘players you hate to see go’ award should one exist. While this trade tugs at the heartstrings, it was anticipated given the Blue Jays’ record and Kikuchi’s impending free-agent status. When viewed from a broader perspective, there is much to like about what the Jays received from the Astros.

RHP Jake Bloss and OF Joey Loperdifo headline the return from Houston

Headling the package to Toronto is right-hander Jake Bloss, ranked #9 on the Houston Astros’ MLB Pipeline prospect rankings to start the season. After a solid year in the minors, MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson confirmed that Bloss was expected to move to #2 in the post-trade deadline update. Other sites also ranked Bloss at #2 on Baseball America and FanGraphs prospect lists.
A third-round pick of the Astros last summer, Bloss has split the 2024 season between three levels—High-A to Triple-A—and owns a 1.64 ERA through 13 starts and 66 innings. He has a 0.788 WHIP and a 4.2 H/9 rate while maintaining a strong 2.9 BB/9 rate and striking out batters at an 8.6 K/9 rate. Bloss works primarily with his four-seam fastball, which sits in the mid-90s, and uses a slider, curveball, and occasionally a changeup.
Promoted to the Houston Astros on June 21st due to injuries in the rotation, Bloss has had mixed results in the big leagues through a small sample size, including a stint on the IL for shoulder discomfort. Over three starts, the 23-year-old has allowed nine earned runs in 11 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out 11. His major league debut came against the Baltimore Orioles, where he allowed two runs on six hits over 3 2/3 innings. He followed this with outings against Miami and Oakland, giving up 10 hits, seven runs, and five home runs, with four of those home runs coming against the A’s.
With team control for another six seasons, Bloss is projected to be a middle-of-the-rotation piece and will rank high on the Jays’ prospect lists once the trade is finalized. He stands 6-foot-3 and has a frame that can handle multiple innings, though he might be on an innings limit for the rest of the year given his rapid ascent through the farm system since being drafted last season.
Joining Bloss in Toronto are outfielder Joey Loperdifo and infield prospect Will Wagner.
Loperdifo debuted with the Astros in late April and has been riding the options train between triple-A and Houston this season. In the big leagues, the left-handed bat has posted a .236/.299/.359 slash line to the tune of a .658 OPS through 106 at-bats. He collected five doubles, one triple, and two home runs with 16 RBIs on the active roster while collecting two stolen bases as well. Defensively, Loperdifo splits his time in the corner outfield spots and has an average arm.
The most evident flaw in Loperdifo’s swing is his high strikeout numbers, which included 43 whiffs through his sample size with Houston this year (36.4%), and that will need to be cleaned up over time. That has lots of time to improve with Toronto, as the Pennsylvania product is still pre-arbitration eligible over the next two seasons before three seasons of arbitration.
For Wagner, the son of elite closer Billy Wagner, the infielder ranked #14 on the most recent MLB Pipeline rankings and has spent all season in triple-A.
Through 70 games, Wagner has amassed a .307/.424/.429 slash line with an .853 OPS while walking 54 times to 33 strikeouts with his keen eye at the plate. While he doesn’t possess a ton of power, the lefty bat can hit across the diamond and has average wheels – collecting 13 doubles, two triples, and five homers with 41 RBIs with Sugar Land.
On the field, Wagner can play across the diamond but has spent the most time this season at first base although for his career, he has spent over 1065 innings at second base. He owns a lifetime .986 fielding percentage on the right side of second base and a .993 mark at first. Wagner will likely report to triple-A Buffalo once the deal is finalized.

The Blue Jays find MLB-ready talent in Kikuchi deal

For a Blue Jays organization struggling to find consistent internal pitching prospects, especially with Tommy John surgeries affecting multiple top pitching prospects and big leaguer Alek Manoah, a pitcher like Bloss is exactly what the franchise needs. Add in a big-league outfielder in Loperdifo, who can hit for power, as well as infield depth in the upper levels of the minor leagues in Wagner, and this deal checks off quite a few boxes.
What makes this trade even more impressive is the context of Kikuchi’s recent results on the field.
While Kikuchi started the season strong, he has struggled on the mound as of late. Since the beginning of June, Kikuchi has pitched to a 6.42 ERA and a 4.52 FIP, allowing 65 hits and 39 earned runs in 11 starts. His command remained relatively good (just 17 walks) and the strikeouts were present (69 K’s), but hitters adjusted to him and exploited pitches over the zone that saw his hit rate climb drastically compared to his previous stats.
Opposing batters have a 9.9% barrel rate and a 45.1% hard-hit rate against Kikuchi, ranking in the 14th and eighth percentiles, respectively. His pitching run value has dropped to -4 on the year, and his fastball, breaking ball, and offspeed pitches are all in the negative.
Simply put, while Kikuchi was strong at the start of the year, he has been inconsistent in recent months, and while that could have had an impact on the trade market, the Blue Jays found a solid return from Houston. Furthermore, as a rental player headed for free agency this winter, his market value was reduced with his recent struggles which likely had some teams looking for other options.
In a seller’s market this trade deadline, the Jays leveraged a veteran pitcher whose value had decreased into controllable pieces that can contribute sooner rather than later. Looking at the Houston Astros fanbase on social media, fans are pretty upset about what the club has traded away for a rental arm.

Earned criticism is still on the table but Ross Atkins has won the day

It is fair to criticize the Blue Jays’ front office and Ross Atkins given the numerous faults and lack of postseason success since he and Mark Shapiro joined the organization in late 2015.
However, amidst the negativity surrounding the Jays’ 2024 season, this trade with the Houston Astros is a substantial win for the Blue Jays front office.
It addresses a need within the organization in terms of a young starting pitcher with control and a Major League ready outfielder and capitalizes on a market that favoured them with a player that the club could attempt to resign in a few months anyway given his expiring contract (should the two sides wish to reunite). Tack on an infield prospect who has solid contact numbers throughout his professional career, and it seems like the Blue Jays took full advantage of the trade deadline market to bolster this team for the foreseeable future.
You can still hold criticisms of Ross Atkins given the team’s past issues, as they are easily warranted given the number of years and the leash this front office has been given to put a winning product on the field and a parade down Front Street. But this evening, he and the front office staff executed a move that benefits the Blue Jays in 2025 and beyond and that should be worth celebrating in a season that has not had much worth to celebrate about.

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