Blue Jays' Kikuchi awaits fate after emotional outing

TORONTO — As he started to replace Jonah Heim after striking out Nathaniel Lowe in the fifth inning Friday night, Yusei Kikuchi caught manager John Schneider walking to the mound, cocked his head to the right and then looked away in frustration.

It’s not just that things didn’t go his way, it’s that things didn’t go his way in what was, barring the unexpected, his final start for the Toronto Blue Jays. He had allowed a two-run home run to Adolis Garcia that gave the Texas Rangers the lead in what ended up being a 6-5 Blue Jays victory, and suddenly it was over, and he was left waiting for his next start next week for a team to be determined.

Scouts from at least four contending clubs who were on hand to watch him not only saw him hit 98.2 mph with a fastball that topped out at 96.5, but also the way a capacity crowd of 35,065 celebrated as he walked off the mound, the way he lifted his cap, the way his Blue Jays teammates embraced him as he walked across the dugout.

Kikuchi kept walking, his face stern, his eyes downcast, absorbing what was probably not the end to the season in Toronto he wanted. But seriously, who on the Blue Jays is going to have one like that this year?

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A reminder of what was in store came about two and a half hours before first pitch, when the Blue Jays traded Yimi Garcia to the Seattle Mariners for two prospects, outfielder Jonatan Clase and catcher Jacob Sharp.

It’s unclear how quickly Kikuchi’s fate will be decided, though talks about the left-hander are expected to intensify Saturday morning. The sooner the decision is made, the more time he’ll have to acclimate to his new team before his next start, with Wednesday being his first day on the job.

The starting pitching market is already in motion, with the Baltimore Orioles adding Zach Eflin and cash from the Tampa Bay Rays for three prospects, and the Boston Red Sox reacquiring Canadian James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers for a low-level prospect.

Neither offers great compensation for Kikuchi, as Eflin’s return includes a bonus since the right-hander is under contract through the 2025 season, while Paxton was recently designated for assignment and is more of a depth addition than an impact pickup.

How teams view Kikuchi likely won’t be influenced by his performance Friday — though the Blue Jays were scared when Robbie Grossman’s fly ball grazed Kikuchi’s right foot in the first inning — because he and Jack Flaherty of the Detroit Tigers are at the top of a relatively dry market for rental pitchers. Teams typically do relatively well with that category of pitchers.

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Kikuchi certainly has the makings to be a legitimate playoff starter, but after posting a 3.26 ERA in his first 14 starts, he has struggled in his last eight outings, pitching a 7.75 ERA in 38.1 innings over that span. He has struck out 54 batters and walked just 11 in that span, and that collapse matches both the Blue Jays’ collapse and the complete demolition of their bullpen.

Without the uncertainty hanging over him and the emotion of parting ways with a team that helped him reach his major league potential, it’s reasonable to think Kikuchi will return to form quickly.

All of that is coming, leaving only days of uncertainty before Tuesday’s deadline to end an eventful two and a half seasons with the Blue Jays, in which he struggled in the first year of a three-year, $36 million contract, finished the season in the bullpen, recovered in the second season and appeared poised to go even further this year.

But nothing has gone as planned for the Blue Jays this season, and Kikuchi has become their biggest trade commodity. His final outing was as notable as Ernie Clement’s game-winning single that set up teammate Justin Turner for two hits, Kevin Kiermaier’s incredible catch that robbed Wyatt Langford of extra bases in the third inning, and Jansen’s single and tying sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.

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