AL Central contenders emerge as latest team tied to Yusei Kikuchi in trade talks

The fate of the Toronto Blue Jays is all but sealed. The MLB trade deadline is less than a week away, and the Jays find themselves firmly camped in the seller category. It's unlikely that the Blue Jays will end up trading more notable names like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, however all their rental players are expected to suit up for a new teams in August. In that bunch, Yusei Kikuchi emerges as one of the players with some of the most value to offer.

Kikuchi isn't having as sharp of a year as he did in 2023, but is still a valuable player to have on a competitive roster. He gets a lot of whiffs from batters (28.3%) and is walking the fewest batters he has in his entire career (5.9%). He's also been a strong workhorse for the Jays this season, with 111.0 innings pitched thus far, tied for 20th in the American League. With less than $6 million left on his deal, Kikuchi would also be within the means of a budget-conscious team. Starters are always a huge commodity at the deadline, so there will inevitably be a suitor that thinks Kikuchi is the right fit for their team, even if he's not the most valuable name on the market.

Minnesota Twins Interest

According to Minnesota Twins Insider Dan Hayes of 'The Athletic,' the Twins are in the market for a starting pitcher at the deadline. Kikuchi could very well fit the mold for the kind of player they are looking to acquire. He's a left-handed pitcher, who becomes a free agent after this season. The Twins wouldn't have to give up major capital, while the Jays could at least turn an expiring Kikuchi contract into something for the future.

The Twins rotation could definitely use some extra stability. They have some talented arms in Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober keeping them alive in the playoff race, however Pablo Lopez is having a down year for his standards. Former Blue Jays prospect Simeon Woods-Richardson has also come onto the scene and is performing well for the Twins, but is only getting his first real chance in the major leagues this season. The Twins are still in the race for the AL Central division, just 5.0 games back from the Cleveland Guardians. With the Twins rotation being solely right handed pitchers, Kikuchi looks like one of the better candidates available in a fairly thin market for starting pitchers.

This is not to say that the Minnesota Twins are the only realistic suitor for Kikuchi. The Houston Astros have dealt with a plethora of injuries to their rotation, and could use someone more durable. The Milwaukee Brewers have had 16 different pitchers start a game for them, which leads all of MLB. The Baltimore Orioles could even be a potential candidate, considering the absences of both Kyle Bradish and John Means for the remainder of the season. What's clear is that Yusei Kikuchi will provide more to another team than he will to the the Jays for the rest of the season.