Houston Astros Trade With Toronto Blue Jays Has Been Great for Both Sides

The Houston Astros pulled off a questionable trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, but the deal has looked good for both teams in hindsight.

Aug 19, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (16) walks on the field before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros made a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays at the MLB deadline. While it was maligned at first, the deal has started to look like a plus for both sides after a few weeks.

Brian Murphy of MLB.com reexamined the moves that happened at the end of July to find out who has been the best pickups over the first month and both sides were represented.

The Astros paid a high price for Yusei Kikuchi, which many thought was roo rich for a rental. The haul brought in by the Blue Jays was pitcher Jake Bloss, outfielder Joey Loperfido and minor league bat Will Wagner.

While the price hasn't magically looked more reasonable, Kikuchi has been stellar in Houston so far.

Over his first five starts, he's worked a 2.89 ERA and the Astros are undefeated. An already great strikeout pitcher, he's bumped up his numbers even more to K/9.

There was speculation that Houston would be moving him to the bullpen once the postseason started, but he might be too good to sit right now. Batters are slashing just .175/.248/.311 against him

"Kikuchi has emphasized his slider more with [the Astros] while curbing his curveball, andthe results have been fantastic. Getting about 2 1/2 more inches of vertical drop on the pitch, Kikuchi has recorded 16 strikeouts and allowed only four hits in 43 at-bats ending on his slider with [Houston]," said Murphy.

As for the former Astros now with Toronto, results have been mixed but one player as stood out.

Wagner, the son of Houston legend Billy Wagner, failed to crack the big league roster while with the Astros organization. It's been a different story with the Blue Jays as he's had a wonderful start to his Major League career.

Over his first 15 games, he has worked a .300/.327/.460 slashing line with one home run and six RBI. It remains to be seen what kind of impact his poor defense will mean for his ability to stick in a lineup, but his bat looks good.

The opposite problem is being had by Loperfido. He has a wonderful glove, but has been very poor at the plate, slashing just .207/.244/.390 over 24 games. His time in Houston got off to a bad end and that trend has continued.

Bloss' first couple of outings were good for the Toronto Triple-A affiliate, but he got shelled for 1.2 innings with nine hits and eight runs.

Overall, the trade has worked out for both sides. The Astros got the pitcher they needed while not giving up anyone that is going to have an immediate impact on their World Series run. The Blue Jays got some intriguing young players for a guy that was going to walk in the offseason.