Yusei Kikuchi and the Anaheim Angels have reached an agreement on a three-year contract worth $63 million, according to reports.
Kikuchi, who turns 34 in June, has had a mixed career in the majors, often fluctuating between decent and below-average performances. However, after being traded to the Houston Astros at the trade deadline last summer, he delivered a much stronger performance than he did with his previous teams, the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays. In 10 appearances for Houston, Kikuchi posted a 2.70 ERA, 3.07 FIP, and 2.74 xFIP over 60 innings, significantly better than his career averages of a 4.57 ERA, 4.53 FIP, and 3.98 xFIP.
The Angels have been active this offseason, acquiring Jorge Soler from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Griffin Canning, who was non-tendered by the Braves, and signing Travis d’Arnaud to a two-year deal. These moves should improve the team compared to their 2024 performance, although there is still more work to be done for the Angels to become a projected .500 team.
