MLB trade regrade: Criticism of Astros-Yusei Kikuchi deal has long ended for good reason

Several head-scratching deals took place at this year's MLB trade deadline which was understandable considering the clear seller's market, but none were more surprising than the Yusei Kikuchi deal.

The Houston Astros acquiring Kikuchi made some sense considering the amount of starting pitching injuries they've had to deal with, but for what they wound up giving up, it was fair to expect more than just a pitcher of Kikuchi's caliber to come back.

Fortunately for Houston, games are not played on paper. Since putting on an Astros uniform, Kikuchi has really kicked things into gear, causing even the harshest critics to begin eating their words.

MLB trade regrade: Yusei Kikuchi trade looks a lot better for the Astros than anyone could've expected

For those needing a refresher, here's the deal that took place between the Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays:

At the time of the deal, Kikuchi had a 4.75 ERA in 22 starts and 115.2 innings pitched for the Blue Jays, and he had a 6.87 ERA in his last 11 appearances before the trade. His advanced statistics suggested he'd improve down the stretch, but all Astros fans had was hope that things would get better without the results showing.

Since the deal, though, Kikuchi has been a different pitcher. He's allowed a total of five earned runs in his three starts with the team, posting a 2.70 ERA in 16.2 innings of work. He has held the opposition to a .167 batting average and has amassed 24 strikeouts. He has met the frontline starter price tag that they paid.

Joey Loperfido, arguably the centerpiece of the deal, has had a chance to play regularly for Toronto since the trade but has just eight hits in 47 at-bats (.170 average) with one home run in his 13 games played with them. Fortunately, Will Wagner has eight hits in his first 15 MLB at-bats with the Jays since his recent call-up.

As for Jake Bloss, the highly-touted pitching prospect that they got, the results have been great. He has 6.2 scoreless innings thus far over his two starts at AAA Buffalo. He looks like a player who could meaningfully contribute to Toronto's rotation in 2025 and beyond.

At the end of the day, this was still a steep price to pay for the Astros, especially considering the fact that Kikuchi is a rental. However, Kikuchi pitching well is really all that the Astros care about. If he helps them win the World Series, nobody will care what they gave up. So far, he's pitching like someone who can meaningfully contribute in October, assuming Houston gets there.

The Jays will always get a good grade for this deal, as they got two of Houston's top prospects and a third one in Will Wagner who has already had success. Houston's grade should definitely improve, though, based on how well Kikuchi has done thus far. If he winds up helping them out in October and they win, their grade will obviously only improve even further.

Blue Jays trade regrade: A
Astros trade regrade: B