Sources – Yusei Kikuchi agrees to three-year, $63 million deal with Angels

Left-handed starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi has agreed to a three-year, $63 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, sources confirmed to ESPN on Monday.

Kikuchi, 33, had a great second half of the season last year after being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Houston Astros, posting a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts.

Overall, he had a 4.05 ERA in 2024, making 32 starts between the two teams. He also made 32 starts in 2023, while appearing in 32 games in 2022 and 29 games in 2021. That consistency undoubtedly helped secure his current contract with the Angels.

The six-year veteran will join his fourth team after breaking into the major leagues with the Seattle Mariners in 2019. His best season came in 2023, when he went 11-6 with a 3.86 ERA for the Blue Jays, helping them reach the postseason. His contributions to the Astros last season also helped them reach the postseason, something his new team hasn’t accomplished since 2014.

Kikuchi’s signing adds to a busy offseason for the Angels, who have already signed another starter, Kyle Hendricks, to a free agent deal. The team also added catcher Travis d’Arnaud via free agency and traded him for outfielder Jorge Soler. Los Angeles has been by far the most aggressive team in the MLB so far this winter.

MLB Network was the first to report Kikuchi’s signing.