On Wednesday, left-hander Yusei Kikuchi and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a three-year, $63 million deal.
With $21 million a year, the 33-year-old’s Major League Baseball earnings over nine seasons total $142 million.
Kikuchi, a 2021 All-Star for Seattle, was 9-10 with a 4.05 ERA in 32 starts this season for Toronto and Houston, who traded him on July 30 for minor league first baseman Will Wagner, rookie outfielder Joey Loperfido, and right-hander Jake Bloss, age 23.
In 10 starts with the Astros, Kikuchi went 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA, walking 14 and striking out 76 in 60 innings. This year, he hit his four-seam fastball at the highest average in his big league career—95.5 mph.
In his six seasons with Seattle (2019-21), Toronto (2022-24), and Houston, he is 41-47 with a 4.57 ERA.
Before the 2019 season, Kikuchi joined the Mariners after Seattle agreed to a three-year, $43 million contract. Additionally, the Mariners paid the Seibu Lions of the Pacific League a posting fee of $10,275,000. In March 2022, he agreed to a three-year, $36 million contract with Toronto.
So far this offseason, the Angels have been baseball’s most aggressive team. Kikuchi is part of a projected rotation that also includes right-handers José Soriano and Kyle Hendricks, who signed a $2.5 million, one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs as a free agent, and left-handers Tyler Anderson and Reid Detmers.
On October 31, right-hander Griffin Canning was dealt to the Atlanta Braves for Jorge Soler, a designated hitter and outfielder. Additionally, Los Angeles signed catcher Travis d’Arnaud to a two-year, $12 million contract.
The Angels had their ninth consecutive losing season, their first since losing Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers in free agency, with a franchise-worst 63-99 record. Since 2014, they have not made it to the playoffs.
