The Toronto Blue Jays followed suit in the big free agent dance on Saturday, signing left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.
• Read also: St-Louis is not a coach!
• Read also: Major League Baseball: No unvaccinated in Canada
With the end of the lockout in major league baseball, many teams are adding a few elements that do not yet have an agreement for the new season.
Kikuchi, 30, is a Japanese gunner who has played with the Seattle Mariners for the past three seasons. Before coming to North America, he dominated in his native country with the Seibu Lions.
According to MLB.com, the Jays and Kikuchi have agreed to a three-year contract worth a total of $36 million. The Toronto team thus finds itself with an interesting starting rotation that already counted on Jose Berrios, Hyun-jin Ryu and Kevin Gausman. Youngsters Alek Manoah and Nate Pearson are also worth considering.
Last year, with the Mariners, Kikuchi had an excellent start to the season, being also selected for the all-star game. However, he had struggled in the second half to finish the campaign with a 7-9 record and a 4.41 earned run average.
