3 Yusei Kikuchi Replacements Not Named: Justin Verlander Astros Can’t Afford to Miss

The Houston Astros received some bad news on Monday when it was announced that Yusei Kikuchi had signed a three-year, $63 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

Kikuchi arrived in Houston at last season’s trade deadline and flourished. In 10 regular season starts for the Astros, Kikuchi posted a 2.70 ERA and 0.93 WHIP, striking out 76 in 60.0 innings. It was arguably the best period of his career and gave Astros fans hope for a potential long-term partnership.

Ultimately, however, Kikuchi left without making a single postseason start for the Astros. Given the bounty of prospects initially given up to acquire Kikuchi, the Astros suddenly felt like losers in the whole ordeal. The Blue Jays dealt Kikuchi knowing he wouldn’t return, and Kikuchi used the Astros to increase his value before bolting.

Houston appears destined to cut costs this winter after their first early postseason exit in a long time. However, the Astros are too talented to rely on this season, and there are several attractive options floating around the free agent market. With Justin Verlander looking ready, the Astros’ rotation is more vulnerable than ever.

Here are some viable replacements for Kikuchi that Dana Brown and company should think long and hard about.

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Max Fried appears destined to part ways with the Atlanta Braves, which could lead him to the American League. There has been a lot of buzz around the Dodgers or Angels, his hometown teams, but Kikiuchi’s contract likely puts the Angels out of the running. Meanwhile, much has been made of the Dodgers’ reluctance to spend big in free agency this winter. Outside of their pursuit of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason, the Dodgers have generally made the most progress on the trade front.

So, the door is open for a Houston team to spend heavily in the free agent market. Fried will balance the rotation as another lefty behind Framber Valdez. After his second All-Star appearance in Atlanta, Fried developed a reputation as a reliable regular-season player. His playoff performance has dipped in comparison in recent years, but Fried has a World Series win under his belt. The Braves put him to the test in October.

At 30 years old, Fried should have at least a few more years of top-notch tank work left in him. He finished 2024 with an impressive 3.25 ERA and 1.16 WHIP, helping keep the Braves’ injury-plagued rotation afloat without Spencer Strider. Fried has eclipsed 160 innings in three of the last four seasons and finished second in National League Cy Young voting in 2022. He’s not the hottest pitcher in free agency this winter, but Fried can produce on par with the very best. in baseball.

Hypothetically, the playing field is there even for Rocky Sasaki, who, due to his age, is ineligible to sign a Yoshinobu Yamamoto-style megadeal coming out of Japan. The 23-year-old will be signed as a national team prospect, meaning teams will have to convince him to join their organization for baseball reasons rather than financial ones.

Houston typically has a deep pocket in free agency, but is a world-class organization with a historic streak of ALCS appearances. It’s clear that the Astros are going through a transition period following the departure of Dusty Baker, but Houston absolutely has the star power needed to perform at a high level in the American League. If Sasaki wants to pitch for a contender—one where he’s well insulated with quality young arms in the bullpen—Houston should be attractive.

Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti arrived in 2024, providing strong evidence that Houston can develop pitchers domestically. Framber Valdez is another astronaut with a long career. Sasaki should have no doubt about Houston’s development record and won’t be left out to dry in a weak rotation. In terms of depth, location (no state income tax!) and situation, the Astros rank as one of the best potential landing spots for the right-hander.

The Astros essentially lost their No. 1 ace Justin Verlander to age and injury. There is a chance that Verlander will return next season, but expecting him to be a standard performer would be foolish. So the Astros don’t have a true Cy Young pedigree at the top of their rotation. Blake Snell can fill that void.

It may be a little far-fetched given the Astros’ obvious financial limitations this winter, but Snell has been too dominant to ignore. He will take Houston’s rotation to the next level, potentially restoring the Astros’ World Series aspirations.

Last season was a disaster for Snell, who didn’t sign until late in spring training. He battled injuries and rust behind the net and looked virtually unplayable for half the season. He then got into shape before the All-Star break and the rest is history. Throughout the second half of the campaign, Snell was the best pitcher in baseball, pound for pound, point blank.

He may have issues with walking and stamina, but Snell is a two-time Cy Young winner whose ceiling is as high as any pitcher in the MLB. Since July of last season, Snell has posted a 1.23 ERA and 1.77 FIP in 14 starts, striking out 114 in 80.1 innings of work for the San Francisco Giants. This included a 15-strikeout game against the Rockies and a no-hitter against the Reds.

Nobody does it like Snell at his best. The Astros will be lucky if he ends up in the building.