The top contending teams are all searching for starting pitching this winter. The Boston Red Sox need to add an arm or two to their rotation. The New York Mets are watching multiple top starters leave the Big Apple this offseason. The Toronto Blue Jays traded away an arm last season as they look to reload for 2025.
But the Los Angeles Angels have taken the first shot at a starting pitcher this winter, and it seems to be a steal off many contenders' wish lists.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post has reported that Yusei Kikuchi has agreed to a three-year, $63 million deal with the Angels, making him the first big-name free agent off the board this winter.
Kikuchi is now headed to his third team in the last calendar year after beginning 2024 with the Blue Jays and being traded to the Houston Astros.
He was a rumored target for the Red Sox, Mets, Blue Jays, and many more contending teams, but with the plethora of pitching talent on the market, these teams will have plenty of options to pivot to.
His contract also gives us a little bit of information about the starting pitching market. If Kikuchi is getting $21 million a year, that number should set the baseline for the All-Star starters ahead of him. I wouldn't be surprised to see four or five pitchers receive contracts with an average annual value of over $30 million.
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