Yusei Kikuchi linked to Blue Jays' division rival; why a move won't happen

It's beginning to look a lot like trade deadline season. As we reach the midway point of July, MLB front offices are approaching the busiest point of their work calendars. Most front offices are probably working overtime and getting precious little sleep as they engage in prospective trade discussions with various clubs. For a team such as the Toronto Blue Jays that has nearly exhausted its competitive window, there are enormous decisions that need to be made sooner rather than later.

As the Blue Jays keep stagnating, the calls to enter the trade market have ramped up. MLB writers are labeling Toronto as a club that will be listening, although the extent of that interest varies widely. Do they only deal players on expiring contracts or seriously engage on those with multiple years of control remaining? In terms of the former scenario, Yusei Kikuchi is a name that will naturally come up as he is preparing to enter free agency this winter.

One such ESPN writer, David Schoenfeld, recently posited the AL East rival Boston Red Sox as a club that should remain interested in the Kikuchi market. "The Red Sox are too good to punt, but too far behind the Yankees and Orioles in the division to go all-in with a major trade that would deplete the farm system," Schoenfeld wrote. "If the Blue Jays do indeed decide to deal players way, add Kikuchi to the list since he's heading to free agency."

This scenario sounds plausible in theory but is unlikely to happen for a few main reasons. Firstly, Red Sox brass have been sending mixed signals about their level of interest in this team for weeks, if not years. Many observers in New England seriously doubt they will add to this roster and are bracing for the team to stand pat or even sell at the July deadline. The most recent signal from chief baseball officer Craig Breslow explained how they are still determining the "lane that we pick." Really? What is left to evaluate for a team that is well over .500 and practically nestled into a playoff spot? Owner John Henry recently commenting on fan displeasure over his spending habits doesn't sound like a team willing to bowl someone over in a trade scenario.

If you look at Boston, the biggest reason for the unexpectedly good season they are having is due to the pitching staff. Boston hurlers are fourth in the American League in ERA and have posted strong numbers across the board. Do they really want to trade from the farm system to add pitching? Clearly, those pitchers have workload concerns that are worth monitoring. However, they seemed fairly content in their internal options heading into the season, electing to only sign Lucas Giolito and then not adding anyone else even though Giolito underwent season-ending right elbow surgery.

Mostly, why would Toronto want to trade with a division rival who has bested them on the field recently? These teams have gotten together on trades so infrequently that a move seems almost impossible at the present moment. You have to rack your brain to remember that the last major transaction between these two was the June 2018 trade of Steve Pearce for Santiago Espinal. Pearce would go on to become a postseason and World Series hero for Dave Dombrowski's Red Sox, while Espinal is a player most Jays fans would rather forget. Maybe John Farrell going to the Red Sox is the next closest move the two rivals have engaged in. On a larger scale, the teams simply don't have a lot of mutual love for one another and shouldn't be expected to get together under these circumstances.

Kikuchi has done a wonderful job in turning his career around so that he could be featured prominently in this summer's trade market. When he was imported from Seattle during the winter of 2021, fans were uncertain about the level of production he could provide. In the pacific Northwest, he sported an elevated ERA and allowed home runs at a ghastly rate. His first season in Canada was a terrible one and left fans questioning the signing. He answered a lot of those critics in 2023 by pitching sterling baseball and lifting his stock heading into 2024. Would the turnaround keep going?

The turnaround has continued and Kikuchi's outing against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park should serve as the latest reminder of who he can be at this best. He fanned 13 batters and pitched into the eighth inning. Of course, the rest of his teammates tossed that gritty performance right into McCovey Cove when they permitted the Giants to walk it off a few moments later. Still, Kikuchi is a pitcher on the rise and it would behoove the franchise to sell high when they can. Let's just hope that Jays management chooses to send him anywhere else other than the Boston Red Sox.