Rumors Surrounding Yusei Kikuchi's Trade: Potential Teams for the Blue Jays Pitcher

By Christopher Boan

@cgboan

April 21, 2025 04:33pm

Fact Checked by Jim Tomlin

With the trade deadline approaching in Major League Baseball, it's an important time to pay attention to unfolding events.Ontario sports betting For teams contending for the title and those unsure about their direction, this moment is crucial for making decisions about their roster: whether to fully commit to winning now or to dismantle their team and begin rebuilding for the 2025 season.

The only Major League Baseball team representing Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays, currently holds a record of 49-56, placing them at the bottom of the American League East. In light of this season's challenges, general manager Ross Atkins is expected to pivot towards future prospects by trading away several players, including the seasoned left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.

With that in mind,deereplanet.com We analyzed various possibilities regarding which MLB team Kikuchi might be pitching for after the trade deadline on Tuesday, featuring a leading National League team among our exclusive odds available on OntarioBets and not found elsewhere.Ontario sportsbook apps .

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Yusei Kikuchi Trade Rumors

At 33 years old, Kikuchi has maintained a career record of 36-46 with an ERA of 4.72 over 156 appearances as a Major League pitcher, now entering his third season in Canada’s largest city.

Kikuchi is concluding the final year of a three-year, $36 million contract, which means he will become a free agent this offseason. This situation gives Atkins the freedom to trade the experienced pitcher for the best offer he can secure before the deadline arrives on Tuesday, as Toronto works to maintain any hope for a postseason berth.Toronto Blue Jays playoff odds Keep informed about the most recent updates in sports betting within Ontario.

Currently, the Los Angeles Dodgers appear to be the leading candidate to complete a trade for Kikuchi, with +400 odds for the Japanese pitcher to join fellow countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2024.

Included on our list of interested teams are the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros, both at +450 odds, along with the San Diego Padres at +600 and the Boston Red Sox at +700.

Whoever secures Kikuchi will be adding a pitcher who had a standout season last year, finishing with an 11-6 record and a 3.86 ERA, contributing to a 1.8 WAR over 32 games with the Blue Jays. Though he hasn’t mirrored that performance in the current season (4-9, 4.75), there’s still optimism among league general managers that he can attain success if he departs from the struggling Blue Jays. The odds for Toronto to clinch the 2024 World Series currently sit at +37500.

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USA Today photo by John E. Sokolowski

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Christopher Boan serves as an iGaming journalist for deereplanet.com, having covered sports and betting industries across Canada and the U.S. for over a decade.

Christopher Boan serves as an iGaming journalist for deereplanet.com, having covered sports and betting industries across Canada and the U.S. for over a decade.