DUNEDIN, Fla. — Yusei Kikuchi was considering signing with the Blue Jays when he received a video from Toronto general manager Ross Atkins.
The clip featured Atkins, members of the club's staff, and messages from several of Kikuchi's potential new teammates, showing him around the Blue Jays' facilities and welcoming him to the team. Kikuchi said the passion and professionalism of the video helped him sign on the dotted line.
"I'm not sure how in depth I'm allowed to speak regarding that video, but basically, it showed how amazing the city is, how great the facilities are," said Kikuchi through translator Kevin Ando on Tuesday. "Comments from the staff and the players, you know, big star players, comments from those players really meant a lot to me."
Kikuchi was formally introduced by the Blue Jays on Tuesday in a news conference with Atkins at the club's player development centre in Dunedin, Fla. Atkins wasn't surprised that the video struck a chord with Kikuchi, who he described as a good player but a better person.
"He will fit in exceptionally well with our clubhouse. That is exceptionally important to us and something that we're always making sure that it is a good fit," said Atkins. "The talent, it speaks for itself. The weapons are elite.
"I'm very excited about what he's already accomplished in his career and I feel like the future is very, very bright for Yusei."
The 31-year-old left-handed Kikuchi is expected to be the fifth starter in Toronto's rotation. He had a 7-9 record for the Seattle Mariners last season, striking out 163 over 157 innings pitched with a 4.41 earned-run average.
Kikuchi has a 15-24 record with a 4.97 ERA, 326 strikeouts, and 365.2 innings pitched over three Major League Baseball seasons, all with Seattle. He started his pro career with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League.
After a strong start to 2021 Kikuchi struggled in the final two months of the season, with a 1-3 record in 10 starts and a 5.48 ERA. September was particularly troublesome, with a 0-2 record and a 7.82 ERA over four starts.
"I have a good idea on why things didn't go the way I wanted to in the second half," said Kikuchi, adding that he made some minute adjustments to his mechanics. "And so this past four months in the off-season, I worked hard every day in order to put myself in a great position from Day 1 of this season."
Kikuchi certainly made an impression in his first day of spring training with his new teammates.
He threw a bullpen session with catcher Danny Jansen on Tuesday morning after arriving in Florida at 4 a.m. the day before. Pitching coach Pete Walker, manager Charlie Montoyo, and Jansen all took note of Kikuchi's sharp delivery in the session.
"I saw an electric arm that had some really nice jump,," said Jansen. "A nice cutter, which he says is one of the pitches that he feels most comfortable with and it really seemed like it.
"We're just trying to figure out where to go with it."
Walker said that whenever Kikuchi pitched against Toronto with the Mariners he was dominant. The Blue Jays pitching coach saw more of that form in Kikuchi's pitching session.
"I thought he commanded his breaking ball pretty well, and I got a chance to get a look at his off-speed pitches, split finger," said Walker. "So it was good to get a chance to see him throw and get a feel for what he does."
Although Montoyo doesn't usually watch bullpen sessions, he made a point of taking in Kikuchi's first appearance in a Blue Jays uniform, sitting on a nearby bench.
"Of course, he's got good stuff," said Montoyo, who recalled when Kikuchi allowed just one run over seven innings against the Blue Jays in a 7-2 Seattle win in Buffalo, N.Y., on July 1.
"I just go by when I saw him last year in Buffalo. He's got great stuff and he showed it today again."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2022.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
Note to readers: Corrects name of Blue Jays catcher (Danny Jansen) in photo caption
