Blue Jays send Kikuchi to Astros for Bloss, Loperfido, Wagner

BALTIMORE -- The Blue Jays made their biggest trade of the Deadline season, sending Yusei Kikuchi to the Astros for right-hander Jake Bloss, outfielder Joey Loperfido and infield prospect Will Wagner, the club announced on Monday prior to Toronto's 8-4 win over Baltimore in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Camden Yards.

This is a massive haul for the Blue Jays, who were trying to thread the needle at this Deadline to remain competitive in 2025, but seem to have landed a package that can have legitimate, immediate impact at the big league level.

TRADE DETAILS:
Houston gets: LHP Yusei Kikuchi
Toronto gets: RHP Jake Bloss, OF Joey Loperfido, INF Will Wagner

“I love what we got,” manager John Schneider said. “Again, Kikuchi, it’s tough to say goodbye because he’s just a great dude, but I’m really excited with what we got back for him. Loperfido is a dude we’ve seen recently and he’s got a really, really bright future. Bloss, you can pencil him into what we’re doing going forward and we’ll take another bloodline guy in Wagner. I really like what we did and it shows we’re going to get after it next year.”

Bloss leads this fantastic package for Toronto, and while Bloss was ranked as Houston’s No. 9 prospect entering the season, a breakout campaign had him about to jump to No. 2 in MLB Pipeline’s midseason update. In Toronto, he will immediately become the Blue Jays’ No. 3 prospect.

Bloss opened the season in High-A this season after being selected in the third round of last year’s Draft, but has blown through levels to reach the big leagues. Across three levels of the Minor Leagues, Bloss posted a 1.64 ERA with 63 strikeouts over 66 innings before earning his promotion to the big leagues. With the Astros, he’s posted a 6.94 ERA over just three starts, but was scratched from his scheduled start Monday night against the Pirates.

With Kikuchi’s rotation spot coming up Wednesday, Bloss could pitch immediately in the big leagues and be a key rotation piece in 2025 with the Blue Jays planning on contending.

Toronto’s rotation will enter 2025 with a strong veteran group still intact, led by Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and José Berríos, but beyond Yariel Rodríguez, who is still a work in progress, the Blue Jays’ rotation depth is worryingly thin. Alek Manoah will be out well into next season after undergoing UCL reconstructive surgery with an internal brace. Ricky Tiedemann, the Blue Jays’ No. 1 prospect who would have had every opportunity to win a job next spring, is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow.

The door will be wide open for Bloss to take a job and run with it. Frankly, the Blue Jays would have done very well acquiring just Bloss for two months of Kikuchi, but the inclusion of Loperfido and Wagner gives this deal the potential to be one of the best this front office has made in years.

Loperfido, 25, was Houston’s No. 6 prospect entering the season before he graduated from prospect status. He is coming off an excellent 2023 season and has hit well in Triple-A this season -- 13 home runs and a .933 OPS over 39 games -- but that success hasn’t carried into the big leagues just yet.

With Loperfido’s ability to play the corner outfield spots and first base, though, he could see playing time down the stretch and compete for an outfield spot in 2025, with Kevin Kiermaier’s departure and Daulton Varsho’s slide to center leaving left field open.

Wagner, who gets traded to Toronto as a 26th birthday present, is the son of the great closer Billy Wagner, who saved 422 games over 16 MLB seasons. The Blue Jays sure do love their family connections.

Over 70 games in Triple-A this season, Wagner has a .424 on-base percentage with far more walks (54) than strikeouts (33) while playing first and second base with some third mixed in. Like Loperfido, he’s a lefty bat, and when you combine them with others like Spencer Horwitz and Addison Barger, the Blue Jays have suddenly balanced out their young position player depth that was once righty-heavy.

Kikuchi has long been the Blue Jays’ most attractive trade chip among their expiring contracts, and while he’s run into some trouble over the past couple of months, which has pushed his ERA up to 4.75, the Astros clearly see the upside that Kikuchi possesses when he’s at his best.

“My tenure with the Blue Jays didn’t start well, but even through the struggles, the coaches and everybody believed in me,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “They helped me. I am thankful for them. Going to the Astros, they’re a contender, and it shows how much they value me. As an athlete, you feel good about that.”

Kikuchi became a beloved figure among Blue Jays fans, and if this trade package ends up as good as it looks, Blue Jays fans aren’t done being Kikuchi fans just yet.