Former Seattle Mariners Lefty Yusei Kikuchi Signs with Division-Rival Angels

Former Seattle Mariners left-hander Yusei Kikuchi has signed a three-year deal with the M’s division rivals, the Los Angeles Angels.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post had the news on Monday morning. It’s a three-year deal worth $63 million.

The move continues the spending spree for Los Angeles, who finished last in the American League West last season. In addition to Kikuchi, they’ve added Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud, Kevin Newman, Scott Kingery and Kyle Hendricks this offseason.

Kikuchi reportedly had a strong market this offseason, which isn’t surprising considering that he made 32 starts last season, showing a level of dependability. He also made 32 in 2023 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Furthermore, after a mid-season trade from Toronto to Houston in 2024, he went 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He struck out 206 total batters for the year in 175.2 innings, flashing elite level stuff. He has a mid-90s fastball and a wipeout slider. He helped the Astros upend the Mariners in the West and get to the playoffs, where they were beaten by the Detroit Tigers in the wild card round.

Kikuchi spent three years with the Mariners after coming over from Japan, going 15-24 in his tenure. One of the more frustrating pitchers in recent M’s memory, he failed to be consistent. He made the All-Star Game with Seattle in 2021 but didn’t even finish the year in the rotation that season. He opted for free agency after the 2021 season, a move that has served him well financially.

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