Blue Jays sign pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to three-year contract: report
The Toronto Blue Jays have signed left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to a three-year, $36-million contract, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Kikuchi will reportedly earn $16 million in 2022, and $10 million in each of the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Breaking: Yusei Kikuchi to the Jays.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 12, 2022
The 30-year-old left-handed pitcher has spent the past three seasons with the Seattle Mariners. He went 7-9 with a 4.41 ERA in 157.0 innings over 29 starts, and averaged. 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings with the Mariners last season. In total, Kikuchi is 15-24 with a 4.97 ERA in 70 career MLB starts.
In eight Nippon Professional Baseball seasons with Seibu, he had a record of 73-46 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.16 WHIP.
The Blue Jays were originally interested in the pitcher before he signed with the Mariners prior to the 2019 season, according to TSN’s Scott Mitchell.
Kikuchi reportedly turned down a $13-million player option to return to Seattle.
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