Update 07/29/2024 9:22pm ET: Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi have reported that the Blue Jays will be getting infielder and outfielder prospect Joey Loperfido and infielder Will Wanger (ranked 13th in Houston’s system, according to MLB Pipeline), along with starting pitcher Jake Bloss in the Yusei Kikuchi deal. Wanger, who’s 26 years old and the son of Astros legend Billy Wagner, is hitting .307, with a .853 OPS in Triple-A on the year. Meanwhile, Loperfido, 25, has split time between MLB and Triple-A in 2024. In 38 games (106 plate appearances) in the majors, Loperfido is batting .236 with a .658 OPS. Triple-A has been more successful for the utility player, posting a .933 OPS in one more game played than in the MLB (39). Toronto has yet to announce the trade.
After nearly three seasons with Toronto, starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi is leaving the Blue Jays, heading to the Houston Astros for pitching prospect Jake Bloss, according to MLB analyst Jim Bowden.
Kikuchi trade didn’t come as a shock after Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins told the LHP last week that he’d likely be traded. Kikuchi joined Toronto in 2022 on a 3-year deal, hoping to slot as a 4th-5th starter in Toronto’s rotation and regain the early success he had in 2021 as an All-Star before things took a bad turn in the 2nd half of the season.
Kikuchi had his ups and downs as a Blue Jay, being demoted to a reliever role at the end of the 2022 season and becoming a legit #5 starter again in 2023. In 2024, Kikuchi’s performance has been in-between his previous two years, sporting a 4.75 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.
While the ERA is high, the appeal of Kikuchi is his constant high strikeout games, as he’s currently averaging 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a lethal fastball that sits at 95mph.
That’s why the Astros were willing to give up SP Jake Bloss (Houston’s #9 prospect according to MLB Pipeline), the most appealing prospect Toronto has acquired at this year’s deadline. In 66.0 innings between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A this year, Bloss has a combined ERA of 1.64 and an opponent’s batting average of .140.
Bloss, 23, has also pitched three times in the majors this season, posting a 6.94 ERA in 11.2 innings pitched. Bloss was supposed to start for Houston tonight but was scratched an hour before the news broke.
The RHP has a good fastball with arm extension that can top out at 97mph and a curveball that is a good secondary pitch, said scouts. Bloss will easily join Toronto’s current MLB rotation and potentially contribute for many years to come.
The trades that sent Bloss and outfield prospect Jonathan Clase (part of the Yimi Garcia return package) are the ones that could steer Toronto back to a winning path come 2025.
Earlier today, Justin Turner was traded to the Seattle Mariners for outfield prospect RJ Schreck. Toronto has now made four trades during the deadline, with possibly one or two more to come by tomorrow.
