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The rosters for Major League Baseball's All-Star Game were revealed on Sunday, and there's no shortage of Houston Astros represented on the American League team. Hunter Brown, Josh Hader, and Jeremy Peña were all named to the All-Star game. Of course, the case could have been made that a few more Astros' players could have made the team, but in the reveal of the rosters, there was a clear case made regarding an offseason regret Houston may have.
Angels' starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi was named to the All-Star Game, signaling that the Astros may want a do-over for one of their key offseason decision. It was approaching the trade deadline last season that the Astros traded for Kikuchi, and as they have developed a reputation for, fixed the veteran pitcher.
Prior to his trade to the Astros, Kikuchi held a 4.75 ERA in 22 starts. With the Astros to end the season, Kikuchi posted a 2.70 ERA during his final 10 starts. The success that Kikuchi had with the Astros has transferred over to the 2025 season. In 18 starts with the Los Angeles Angels this season, Kikuchi has a 2.81 ERA with a 1.9 fWAR.
Astros' offseason choice backfires as All-Star recognition highlights what they lost
Despite the success Kikuchi had with the Astros at the end of the season, the writing was on the wall once the offseason started that the two sides would not continue together for the 2025 season. Considering the package of young players the Astros sent the Blue Jays, the decision to move on from Kikuchi during the offseason didn't quite make sense. The decision only looked worse once the season started.
With the trade deadline approaching, there's been a belief that the Astros could look to add a starting pitcher to stabilize the backend of their rotation. The back half of the Astros' rotation has been decimated by injuries, and the inconsistency from Lance McCullers Jr. speaks to a desire for there to be more from the options in the rotation, not named Brown or Framber Valdez.
Money was the primary reason why Kikuchi didn't return with the Astros, landing a three-year deal worth $63MM with the Angels. But for the Astros, quickly ascending toward being the best team in the American League, Kikuchi being selected to the All-Star Game is a reminder of the price they should have been willing to pay this past offseason.