The Seattle Mariners may be in makeover mode, but they’re still making upgrades to the team.
The Mariners are close to a deal with Japanese pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, according to Yahoo’s Tim Brown and Jeff Passan.
Happy New Year, Seattle: The Mariners appear to be nearing an agreement with Japanese lefty Yusei Kikuchi, major league sources tell @JeffPassan and me. The 27-year-old Kikuchi must sign before the Jan. 2 posting deadline.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) January 1, 2019
Kikuchi had been in Los Angeles meeting with teams during his 30-day negotiation window, which ends on January 2. The 27-year-old southpaw has gone 74-48 with a 2.81 ERA in Japan. He was 16-6 with a 1.97 ERA for the Seibu Lions in 2017 — his best full season.
He would join a Mariners rotation that includes Marco Gonzales, Mike Leake, Justus Sheffield, Felix Hernandez and Wade LeBlanc.
