Former MLB Exec Gives Houston Astros Unwanted Superlative for Deadline Deal

A former MLB executive did not like the Houston Astros deal for Yusei Kikuchi, giving it a poor superlative.

Aug 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (16) delivers a pitch during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros set clear goals ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline. They wanted to upgrade their pitching staff, and evidently, they were going to do whatever it took to accomplish that feat.

To bolster their bullpen, they acquired left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson from the New York Yankees. The deal that raised a lot of eyebrows was the one they completed with the Toronto Blue Jays centered around starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.

Kikuchi, a one-time All-Star with the Seattle Mariners earlier in his career, had not pitched exceedingly well for the Blue Jays this season. He was reliable and durable, making 22 starts before being traded.

But, his production on the mound wasn’t great. He was 4-9 with a 4.75 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. In 115.2 innings, he recorded 130 strikeouts. Some of the advanced stats he had hinted that his raw numbers were unlucky, as he had a 3.66 FIP.

Even if the Astros are predicting better production from Kikuchi down the stretch of the season, the price they paid to acquire him was exorbitant. That is what led former MLB executive Jim Bowden, to give them an unwanted superlative.

Bowden, now a writer for The Athletic, handed out superlatives for how the 2024 MLB trade deadline unfolded. For Houston, he named their trade with Toronto as the biggest overpay.

“Even in such a seller’s market, Houston paid too steep a price for a rental starter, let alone one who isn’t pitching well. (Kikuchi had an ERA over six the past two months.) And the Astros gave up three good prospects for him: Righty Jake Bloss, 23, has a shot to develop into a solid starting pitcher, similar to Kikuchi; outfielder Joey Loperfido, 25, is at least an average major-league player; and infielder Will Wagner, 26, has strong bat-to-ball skills and makes consistent contact,” Bowden wrote.

Bloss and Loperfido were already contributing at the major league level this season. As Bowden noted, Wagner has skills that would translate to a solid major league career once he gets his shot.

That shot will now come with the Blue Jays. When taking a look at what other starting pitching cost around the league ahead of the deadline, it is baffling that the Astros surrendered as much talent as they did.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who acquired Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers, didn’t even pay that much. And Flaherty was by far the best starter on the move ahead of the deadline, pitching like a staff anchor to this point.