The Blue Jays have a massive trade deadline ahead of them.
The Toronto Blue Jays began Sunday’s series finale against the Detroit Tigers with a 44-54 record, making them clear trade deadline sellers. The only remaining question was how far Ross Atkins was willing to go.
Would Atkins consider trading players under team control, such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Kevin Gausman? Regardless matter the response, switching rentals is almost probably a guarantee.
Asked Yusei Kikuchi if the #BlueJays have had any conversations with him about the Trade Deadline or their plans.
“No. Not at all.”
He later said the deadline has been on his mind and that “it’s been tough”, but he’s trying to focus on the games themselves.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) July 20, 2024
The Jays don’t have much to offer in that regard, but with so many clubs looking for starting pitching, Yusei Kikuchi is an intriguing name to watch. He had the opportunity to raise his value on Saturday against a Tigers club that had its best player, Riley Greene, on the bench, but he failed to do so.
Yusei Kikuchi’s trade deadline audition did not go as planned.
The Tigers have been playing better baseball recently, but their offense remains mediocre, particularly without Greene. Kikuchi started brightly, pitching four scoreless innings, but struggled after that.
The Tigers scored their first run of the game in the fifth inning with back-to-back two-out hits, but it wasn’t until the sixth inning that they really got going. Kikuchi was removed from the game following a single, walk, and hit-by-pitch in the sixth inning. The first batter Trevor Richards faced in relief launched a Grand Slam, breaking the game open.
Kikuchi yielded four runs in five innings against the Tigers, raising his season ERA to 4.54 after 21 starts. Worryingly, following a great start to the season, the southpaw has a 6.62 ERA in his last 11 outings. That poor streak has lasted more than two months.
Teams interested in beginning pitching should consider the fact that his name is being mentioned in trade speculations, which is definitely having an impact on Kikuchi. It’s not an excuse that should absolve him of all responsibility for his recent troubles, but he’s having difficulty focusing on the present when he knows he’ll be traded soon. Kikuchi may be able to get things going if he’s traded.
Kikuchi will be moved for a decent return because he is a good starter, but he missed an opportunity to show contenders that he can help them make a push down the stretch on Saturday. He will have at least one more opportunity to do so before the trade deadline. Hopefully, he can pitch a little better.