Yusei Kikuchi: Declines player option

Kikuchi declined his $13 million player option Wednesday, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.

Kikuchi made 29 starts for the Mariners in 2021, and he posted a 4.41 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 163:62 K:BB in 157 innings. The 30-year-old's decision to turn down his player option comes as a bit of a surprise following his three seasons in Seattle, but he'll hit free agency ahead of the 2022 campaign.