Just imagine he could have offered up only Wagner and Toronto would have reluctantly taken the deal. And why is that? Because nobody in their right mind was going after a rental having the type season Kikuchi was having.
Definitely 3 of our more well known prospects so maybe the optics are worse than reality. I want to be optimistic but I thought just Bloss was too much for a fiers/odorizzi type.
Kikuchi has gone 6 innings twice since the end of May. He’s failed to finish 5 innings 5 times in that same timeframe.
I think PS5 The Show game would not accept this trade. Watch Kikuchi kills it for the Astros and then get rich somewhere else in 2025.
I like Kikuchi and have thought he would be one of the better potential rental starters the Astros could get. (I posted several hypothetical trades that had Kikuchi coming back) High K rates and ++ stuff Very unlucky in Toronto. 4.75 ERA w/ 3.64 FIP and .344 BABIP It sucks that fans will hold Joey, Bloss, and Wagner against him but I fully expect him to be good. And I think Leon could end up better than Loperfido.
I agree with all of this. And the Astros are a better team now than they were before the trade. Marginally. It was still a massive overpay for a likely very negligible gain.
I agree. I don't totally dislike Kikuchi but the price was too steep. I hope he does well and we resign him. I won't hold it against him if he is bad, but I will Brown. My hope is that Leon comes in and hits the ground running and is better than JL. That would salvage this trade a bit.
I don't think people are complaining about the overpay. It's who the overpay was for. If the same prospects went out for Flaherty or Snell. I would miss Joey and Bloss but I would understand. This I just cant.
And to think that at one point we had the best GM in Luhnow and now we got this worthless trash one..... 0 hopes this man get anything done by tomorrow..... As usual.... All talk no action..... The sooner they fire him the better.....
But that's exactly my point. Kikuchi has elite stuff. Brown is a tremendous scout and you better believe he and the pitching braintrust have identified him as a guy they can turn around. I expect Kikuchi to have 2 exceptional months as an Astro And if JV doesn't come back (we know his option won't vest) then maybe he will sign a 3 yr / $45-$50M deal after becoming a legitimate #2.
Some talking about resigning Kikuchi already. Just hope he doesn't get run out of town by the end of the season.
KIkuchi for Bloss Leon for Loperfido The Astros are better now than they were yesterday IMO and better set up for the playoffs.
He’s had six mediocre seasons to prove his stuff. The list of pitchers in MLB history who have gone from mediocre to “elite” in their seventh season has to be incredibly small.