Can Houston Astros Afford Not to Re-sign Deadline Acquisition?

The Houston Astros gave up a ton to get their big trade deadline acquisition and now need to bring him back in free agency.

Sep 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (16) walks on the field before the game against the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros traded away a haul at the last MLB deadline to bring in an ace, now they must focus on signing him in free agency.

When the Astros initially traded for Yusei Kikuchi, the deal was met with plenty of push back. It was understandable given how much they seemed to have given the Toronto Blue Jays for the rental.

People started to come around, though, when Kikuchi seemingly turned a corner under the guidance of Houston coaching and shined. His free agency market will now be on the rise and the Astros should be heavily involved.

As Jim Bowden of The Athletic broke down the upcoming class of free agents, Kikuchi was named the No. 30 player available. He also projected that the pitcher would command a three-year, $42 million deal that would be do-able for Houston.

The start of the Japan native's career was a rocky one. He showed the potential to be great, but was never able to do it on a consistent basis.

He started the season with a 4.75 ERA, which only played into the fact that people were upset with how much was given to the Blue Jays at the deadline.

The Astros traded away a trio of Jake Bloss, Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner at the deadline in order to get the deal done.

Though he was considered the after thought of trade package at the time, Wagner started off his time with Toronto on an absolute tear.

The 26-year-old posted a .305/.337/.451 slashing line with two home runs and 11 RBI. His bat has shown some potential in the minors, but few expected it to translate this quickly. It wasn't just a couple of fluke hits, either, as his xBA was even higher than his actual one at .316.

Loperfido was a fan-favorite in Houston, but ended his time there on a cold streak. His performance at the plate continued to dip with a .197/.236/.343 slashing line.

He still has the potential to be a solid bat in the Majors and his defense is still elite, so he should still be considered valuable young player.

Most valuable of all was Bloss, who is now the Blue Jays' No. 3 prospect. Much like Loperfido, though, he struggled mightly post-trade.

Toronto sent the 23-year-old back down to Triple-A where he posted a 6.91 ERA over eight appearances.

While the players involved might not be performing how many thought they would right now, the Astros should still be motivated to bring Kikuchi back after surrendering the assets.

The southpaw and Houston pitching coaches seemingly found something that worked, as his potential was unlocked in a 10-game stretch that saw him post an impressive 2.70 ERA and career-high 11.4 K/9.

Wins aren't completely a pitcher stat, obviously, but the Astros did go 9-1 when he started. Staying together would make great sense for both parties.