Blue Jays absolutely fleece Astros after full Yusei Kikuchi trade package revealed

On Monday night during Game 2 of the Blue Jays' doubleheader against the Orioles, news broke that Toronto traded pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to the Houston Astros. Initially, it was reported that the return package was top pitching prospect Jake Bloss, which felt like a satisfying enough return. Bloss was scratched from his start where he was due to face off against Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Minute Maid Park and was replaced by Taylor Scott.

But moments later, it was revealed Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner would also accompany Bloss north of the border.

The return for Kikuchi is huge for the Blue Jays and arguably the best deal they've made thus far. Bloss was ranked the Astros' No. 9 prospect by MLB Pipeline, and was about to jump to No. 2. Bloss started his season at High-A and was selected in the thrid round of the MLB draft last year. He pitched to a fantastic 1.64 ERA in 66 innings with 63 strikeouts in the minor leagues and then made his MLB debut on June 21. Since then, he's posted a 6.94 ERA with a 1.63 WHIP in 11.2 innings pitched. That's no reason to be discouraged, however.

According to Baseball Savant, he throws a fastball, (averaging 93-95 MPH), slider, curveball, (78 MPH), sweeper, changeup and sinker. He could join the backend of the rotation soon given Kikuchi's departure and his experience after debuting. Bloss has high upside and could use the rest of 2024 to find his footing in the bigs.

Joey Loperfido was ranked Houston's No. 5 prospect in last month's update and made his MLB debut on April 30. The 25-year-old outfielder is hitting .236 with two home runs, 16 RBI and .657 OPS in 38 games. He's primarily played left field but has also seen playing time in right and center. He will slot perfectly into Toronto's outfield, rotating with Daulton Varsho, Addison Barger and George Springer (although he could DH more.) Loperfido is another lefty bat the Blue Jays can add to the bottom of their lineup, to replace Kevin Kiermaier, who is set to retire at the end of the season.

And finally, Will Wagner is Houston's 13th-ranked prospect. In Triple-A with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the 26-year-old is batting .307 with five home runs, 41 RBI, three stolen bases and an .853 OPS in 70 games. Wagner, who throws right and bats left, primarily plays second and third base, Addtionally, he should be ready to make his MLB debut this season. The Blue Jays don't have much to play for now given they're eight games back of a wild card spot, but Wagner could get the call at any given moment.

Overall, this is a fantastic return for a Kikuchi, who is a rental and owns the eighth-worst ERA (4.75) among qualified starters in MLB. He'll slot into the back of the Astros rotation with Ronel Blanco, who's posted a 3.92 ERA in his past seven games.

Kikuchi finishes his career with the Blue Jays with a 21-22 record and a 4.60 ERA. Houston may be first in the AL West at the moment and certainly added pitching help, but this trade is a major win for Toronto, who continue strengthen their farm system as they prepare for life beyond 2024.