A somewhat surprising decision by pitcher Yusei Kikuchi has many Seattle Mariners fans breathing a sigh of relief.
Mariners announce that Yusei Kikuchi has elected to decline his player option and is now a free agent.
— Kevin Shockey (@KevinShockey) November 3, 2021
But if the Mariners made it clear he wouldn't be part of the rotation, he and his agent Scott Boras might have decided to find a better MLB option.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) November 3, 2021
Anyone who watched Kikuchi struggle mightily the final months of the 2021 season had serious reservations about his place on a hopefully competitive team in 2022, as his control and general “stuff” suffered severely in the wake of MLB deciding midseason to suddenly enforce their own rules regarding pitchers using foreign substances on the mound for grip.