With the MLB trade deadline looming, Toronto Blue Jays fans may be forced to say goodbye to some familiar faces.
Among those rumoured to be parting ways with the team is veteran pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.
As trade reports involving Kikuchi have piled up over the past few months, seeing him dealt to a contender sometime between now and Tuesday at 6 pm ET would come as a surprise to virtually no one — including the Japan native.
According to a new X post from Blue Jays reporter Hazel Mae, the pitcher has recently come to terms with the possibility of joining another team.
“Pitching coach Pete Walker told me Yusei Kikuchi is finally ‘at peace’ with reality he’ll be traded,” wrote Mae on Monday. “John Schneider said Kikuchi is so routine-oriented that the uncertainty of the situation — not knowing where he’s going — has weighed on him, but ‘he’s in a good spot now.'”
Speaking of his “routine,” Kikuchi’s unique sleep schedule made waves and helped endear him to fans back in September after it was revealed that he got over 11 hours of shuteye a night.
Pitching coach Pete Walker told me Yusei Kikuchi is finally "at peace" with reality he'll be traded.
John Schneider said Kikuchi is so routine-oriented that the uncertainty of the situation – not knowing where he's going – has weighed on him, but "he's in a good spot now."
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) July 29, 2024
However, he may have been subject to a little more tossing and turning in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Kikuchi told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson that the period leading up to Tuesday’s trade deadline was “difficult.”
“It’s probably a difficult time for all of us,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “Not just the position players, but myself included. I’m going out there with mixed feelings. You just don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s a difficult time right now.”
On the field, the 33-year-old, who is in the final season of a three-year, $36 million contract signed with the Blue Jays in 2022, has posted up and down stats throughout his Toronto tenure.
Making what was likely his final start with the Blue Jays, Kikuchi received a standing ovation from fans crowded behind the Blue Jays’ dugout at Rogers Centre on Friday night.
Going 4-9 throughout 22 games this season, the 6-foot-tall starter is currently riding a 4.75 ERA.