Astros' Kikuchi fueled by what 'fans had to say' following trade

Yusei Kikuchi has been terrific since joining the Houston Astros at the trade deadline, and the left-hander admitted that the initial criticism of his acquisition has led to his success.

Kikuchi said Friday that he "heard a lot of what the fans had to say" after the Astros acquired the 33-year-old from the Toronto Blue Jays for a steep prospect haul and has used the comments as fuel to perform well, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome.

Houston acquired Kikuchi, a pending free agent at the end of the season, from the Toronto Blue Jays for its No. 2, No. 5, and No. 19 prospects, which looked like a fleecing at first glance.

Kikuchi was also surprised with the package and said, "I was shocked myself that this team gave up three prospects," per Rome.

While the price to acquire Kikuchi was hefty, the southpaw has anchored Houston's banged-up starting rotation as the Astros attempt to win their seventh division title in the last eight seasons. Kikuchi owns a 5-0 record with a 3.19 ERA and 11.1 K/9 in eight starts with Houston.

The Astros enter play Saturday 4.5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners for the top spot in the American League West.