The Astros turnaround has been one of the biggest stories over the past few months. They had a record of 25-33 at the start of June. They were six and a half games behind the Mariners for first in the division and seven and a half games out of a wild card spot. It seemed like the Astros’ reign over the American League was closing. Yet over the past few months, they’ve been one of the hottest teams in baseball. Since June 1st, they have a record of 43-27 and have climbed up the standings. They now have a record of 52-49 and are tied for first in the AL West.
Yet despite the hot stretch, there are still problems in this club. Specifically with the starting rotation. Sure, their ace Framber Valdez has been reliable. But, there isn’t much outside of that. They’ve dealt with a lot of injuries, with Justin Verlander, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier, and Lance McCullers Jr. all on the injured list. Not just that but Verlander is the only one who you can expect to come back this season. Due to this, the Astros have to find some stability in their rotation. The perfect option for them would be Yusei Kikuchi of the Toronto Blue Jays.
What Kikuchi Would Do To the Rotation
Kikuchi signed a three-year deal with the Blue Jays before the 2022 season. At first, it seemed like this deal was gonna be a disaster. He pitched to a 5.19 ERA. By far, the worst of his career since his rookie season. He also posted career-low numbers in most statistical categories. However, he rebounded in 2023 pitching to a career-best 3.86 ERA. He also had a career-best 181 strikeouts and 111 ERA+.
So far in 2024, he has found the middle ground of the two seasons. In 111 innings, he’s pitched to a 4.54 ERA with 125 strikeouts, 28 walks, and a 1.306 WHIP. He also has an ERA+ of 89 and a FIP of 3.57. However, the most important stat for the Astros is the fact that he’s tied for the most starts in the MLB with 21. With the Astros being so deprived of a reliable starting pitching, this is exactly what they need. A guy they know will take the mound every time his turn in the rotation comes up. This will give them some stability and someone they can rely on.
What Would The Astros Give Up To Get Him?
Now even though Kikuchi seems like a perfect fit for the Astros, there still going to have to put together a package for him. But, what will this package look like? Well, there are a few factors that affect it. The first one is he’s in the last year of his deal. That alone will bring down his value. However, the biggest factor driving down his value is he’s not the number one arm on the market. There are a lot of talented pitchers on the trade block this year. Guys like Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde, and Tyler Anderson are all the major names on the market. The more starters on the market, the less it will cost to acquire one.
Now, you might be thinking why wouldn’t the Astros go after one of those guys? Well, the Astros don’t have the prospect capital to get one. They only have one prospect in the Top 100 with Jacob Melton and a farm system ranked towards the bottom. If a bidding war starts for a guy like Crochet or Anderson, they’ll give the weakest offer. However, Kikuchi’s value will be the lowest out of anyone on the market. They probably won’t even have to move Melton to get him. It would probably only cost a couple of their lower-ranked prospects.
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