Blue Jays Acquire 3 Prospects From Astros For Rental Yusei Kikuchi
Image credit: RHP Jake Bloss (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson)
The Astros entered the trade deadline looking to acquire another experienced starter. On Monday, they landed lefthander Yusei Kikuchi from the Blue Jays in exchange for a trio of prospects that include Jake Bloss, their No. 2 prospect, Joey Loperfido (No. 5) and Will Wagner (No. 19). You can see their scouting reports and the Astros’ full Top 30 here.
While Kikuchi is a rental, he has been a productive starter over each of the last two seasons. A 2023 third-rounder out of Georgetown, Bloss pitched his way to the major leagues this season.
BLUE JAYS RECEIVE
Jake Bloss, RHP
Age: 23
After a short post-draft debut in 2023 that included a handful of appearances between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Fayetteville, Bloss dominated out of the gates in 2024. He made 12 starts between High-A Asheville and Double-A Corpus Christi before being called up to the major league club on June 21. The Astros pulled Bloss from that start and placed him on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Bloss has made two starts for the Astros since and was scheduled to face off against Paul Skenes on Monday night in a battle of 2023 draftees. Bloss mixes a four-seam fastball sitting 94-95 mph with above-average ride and cut, a sweeper slider in the low 80s, an upper-80s cutter, an upper-80s changeup and a mid-70s curveball.
Joey Loperfido, 1B/OF
Age: 25
Loperfido represents a big win for Astros player development since he signed for just $75,000 as a seventh-rounder in 2021. He made his major league debut in 2024 but struggled to make consistent contact. He hit .272/.365/.568 with 13 home runs over 39 games with Triple-A Sugar Land. Loperfido is a plus athlete with the ability to play multiple positions in the infield and outfield and shows power, speed and on-base ability. He could develop into a full-time regular if he improves his bat-to-ball skills.
Will Wagner, 2B/3B
Age: 26
Houston signed Wagner, the son of all-star closer Billy Wagner, for $50,000 as an 18th rounder in 2021. Over three full seasons in the Houston system, Wagner proved to be one of the best contact hitters in the organization. He hit .307/.424/.429 with 54 walks to 33 strikeouts over 70 games for Triple-A Sugar Land. Wagner is a limited defender in the infield, but has seen time at second and third base this season. He offers a similar profile to the recently traded Justin Turner and fits the Blue Jays’ mantra of advanced plate skills.
ASTROS RECEIVE
Yusei Kikuchi, LHP
Age: 33
Kikuchi has been inconsistent since debuting at 28 years old in 2019, pitching to a 4.72 career ERA that included an all-star appearance in 2021 and the best season of his career in 2023, when he went 11-6 with a 3.86 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 167.2 innings with the Blue Jays. The quality of his fastball and slider made a significant jump that season, but it hasn’t totally held in 2024. Still, he has been productive despite some poor batted ball luck.
The homer-prone Kikuchi has again struggled to keep the ball in the yard in 2024. Despite a 4.75 ERA, estimators such as FIP (3.64) and xFIP (3.39) paint a rosier picture. Kikuchi mixes a four-seam fastball at 95-96 mph with a slider that sits 89-90 mph, a lower-80s curveball and a firm upper-80s changeup. Kikuchi will likely replace Bloss in the Astros rotation and provides a second lefthanded rotation option alongside ace Framber Valdez.
