Astros agree to three-year deal with Japan’s Tatsuya Imai

Star Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai is headed to Houston aft agreeing to a escaped cause woody with the Astros, ESPN reports. The declaration is for 3 years and guarantees $54 million, with the accidental to scope $63 cardinal done further terms. The woody includes opt-outs, according to the report, with MLB Network archetypal detailing the structure.

Imai, 27, entered the posting strategy arsenic 1 of the winter’s much intimately watched arms, drafting comparisons to caller NPB-to-MLB occurrence stories. Agent Scott Boras leaned into that astatine the wide managers meetings successful November.

"Certainly, he's done everything Yamamoto's done," Boras said.

A ascendant 2025 puts Imai connected MLB radar

Imai’s worth was boosted by a standout 2025 play for the Seibu Lions. He went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA, striking retired 178 portion walking 45 crossed 163⅔ innings. He besides authored 2 of the year’s loudest pitching lines: 8 innings successful a combined no-hitter against Fukuoka connected April 18, past 17 strikeouts against Yokohama connected June 17 to interruption Daisuke Matsuzaka’s long-standing Seibu record.

Scouts person pointed to powerfulness worldly that plays beyond Japan. His fastball typically sat 93 to 97 mph and touched 99, and helium has posted an ERA nether 3.00 successful each of the past 4 NPB seasons. Just arsenic important for MLB evaluators, his bid has tightened. His walks per 9 innings dropped from 5.1 successful 2022 to 2.5 successful 2025, a displacement that helped propulsion him from intriguing to premium.

What the posting strategy means for Houston

Because Imai arrived via posting, Seibu volition person a interest from Houston based connected MLB’s sliding scale. Under that formula, sources said the Lions volition cod $9.675 million, positive 15% of immoderate earned bonuses, wage escalators, and exercised options.

For the Astros, the signing comes without qualifying-offer complications. Imai volition not beryllium taxable to a qualifying offer, meaning Houston volition not person to surrender draught compensation successful the mode it would for definite established MLB starters.