Astros acquire Yusei Kikuchi from Blue Jays at MLB trade deadline

Pitcher Yusei Kikuchi is now a former Blue Jay.

The move comes as an expected end for Kikuchi and his time in Toronto and he now becomes the first Japanese player to pitch for the Astros in club history.

In return, the Blue Jays are getting right-hander Jake Bloss, outfielder Joey Loperfido and prospect Will Wagner, the son of former Mets closer Billy Wagner, according to ESPN.

The teams that control the direction of this MLB trade deadline

Kikuchi is in the final year of a three-year, $36 million contract that he originally signed with the Blue Jays back in 2022 and said to reporters on Friday that he was told by Jays general manager Ross Atkins that “there is a pretty high likelihood that I’ll get traded.”

He owned a 4.75 ERA going into Monday’s game against the Orioles and is striking out 10.1 batters per nine innings, which is in the top 10 in the American League.

Breaking down trade chances for top pitchers ahead of MLB trade deadline

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said before the trade that Kikuchi had been handling the uncertainty “good.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR STARTING LINEUP NEWSLETTER

“It’s pretty evident that he likes it here and his wife likes it here and things like that,” Schneider said, according to Sportsnet . “It’s the first time he’s in this spot, understanding that it’s part of the business. He’s had ample time to kind of digest it a little bit, which is unfortunate, but I would say he’s in a good place.”

It was the second trade that the Blue Jays conducted on Monday, with the ballclub also sending Justin Turner to Seattle in a deal earlier in the day.

Turner had been taken out of Monday afternoon’s game between the Blue Jays and Orioles in the bottom of the second inning.

The trade comes as the Astros sit in a tie with the Mariners for first in the AL West and the Blue Jays are last in the American League East.

For the latest in sports, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/sports/