Mariners sign Japanese All-Star Kikuchi

[January 03, 2019]  Japanese left-hander Yusei Kikuchi signed a four-year contract with the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

Financial terms were not announced by the club but ESPN reported that the base deal is for three years and $43 million. The Mariners can trigger a four-year, $66 million extension after the 2021 season. If they decline to do so, Kikuchi either can trigger a $13 million option for the 2022 season or elect free agency. According to ESPN, $56 million is guaranteed and the deal can be worth as much as $109 million.

The 27-year-old was posted as a free agent by the Seibu Lions of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball after the 2018 season, making him eligible to negotiate and sign with any major league team.

"Yusei's combination of character, talent, experience and relative age made him a primary target in our roster building plans," Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said. "He is an exciting young pitcher with the ability to impact the Mariners, both in the present and future."

A seven-year veteran of the Japanese league, he had his best season in 2017, when he tossed four shutouts and finished with a 16-6 record and a 1.97 ERA.

In his major league career in Japan, Kikuchi had a 2.69 ERA with 879 strikeouts in 956 1/3 innings. He is a three-time All-Star.

The Mariners could use Kikuchi to front a rotation that subtracted ace James Paxton via trade.

--Field Level Media

[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.