Tatsuya Imai agrees to terms with the Astros

Japan's Tatsuya Imai had just over 24 hours left to reach an agreement with a Major League Baseball club, his 45-day window ending on January 2, 2026, at 5 p.m. (Quebec time).

And now it's done, with the Nippon signing a three-year pact with the Houston Astros for a total of up to $63 million. Although it's a shorter contract than expected, it's the highest annual value granted to a Japanese pitcher, with the exception of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, of course. The agreement also includes exit options.

Tatsuya Imai's deal with Houston is for 3 years with opt outs, sources tell ESPN. When terms are announced, it'll be the largest AAV for a Japanese pitcher coming over outside of Yamamoto.

– Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) January 1, 2026

Imai arrives on the Manfred circuit after an impressive year with the Seibu Lions in the Land of the Rising Sun. In 2025, he posted a 1.92 earned-run average in 163 and two-thirds innings of work, and recorded 178 strikeouts against just 45 walks.

Even so, the 27-year-old makes his arrival in the majors with less fanfare than any of the three Los Angeles Dodgers stars who made the same trip – Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki – who had more impressive track records than Imai on the other side of the ocean.

This, combined with the fact that the forward was slightly down in the NPB, meant that Imai's market was tighter than one might have thought, with the Astros running away with the prize at the very end of the dance.

In addition to a devastating fastball and slider, Imai throws a slider and changeup, a rarely used combination. This could give him an edge early in his MLB career, when hitters could be thrown off balance.

This content was created with the help of AI.