Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $63 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the deal, first reported by the New York Post, was subject to a successful physical.
The 33-year-old Kikuchi gets $21 million annually during the contract, which raises his Major League Baseball earnings to $142 million over nine seasons.
An All-Star with Seattle in 2021, Kikuchi was 9-10 with a 4.05 ERA in 32 starts this year for Toronto and Houston, which for 23-year-old right-hander Jake Bloss, rookie outfielder Joey Loperfido and minor league first baseman Will Wagner.
Kikuchi was 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts with the Astros, striking out 76 and walking 14 in 60 innings. His four-seam fastball averaged 95.5 mph this year, the highest of his big league career.
He is 41-47 with a 4.57 ERA in six seasons with Seattle (2019-21), Toronto (2022-24) and Houston.
when Seattle agreed to a contract that earned him $43 million over three years. The Mariners also paid a $10,275,000 posting fee to the 91原创 League鈥檚 Seibu Lions. , agreeing to a $36 million, three-year contract.
The Angels have been the most aggressive team in baseball so far this offseason. Kikuchi joins a projected rotation that includes left-handers Tyler Anderson and Reid Detmers and right-handers Jos茅 Soriano and Kyle Hendricks, who left the Chicago Cubs as a free agent and agreed to a .
for outfielder and designated hitter Jorge Soler on Oct. 31. Los Angeles also reached a .
The Angels went a franchise-worst 63-99, their ninth straight losing season and first since losing Shohei Ohtani in free agency to the Dodgers. They have not reached the playoffs since 2014.
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AP MLB:
Ronald Blum, The Associated Press
