Tatsuya Imai: His comments about the Dodgers make him popular in Houston

It's been a few days now since we learned that the Astros have reached an agreement with Tatsuya Imai. The pitcher, who has a fine track record in Japan, is a nice bet for an Astros rotation that is likely to lose Framber Valdez this winter.

Imai isn't a sure thing, but he's an interesting project at a lower price.

That said, what's interesting is that Imai made the decision to sign with the Astros, who have a history with the Dodgers. There's been a rivalry between the two clubs for some years, and it's not insignificant.

In November, Imai stated that joining the Dodgers was not his objective. In fact, the Japanese had another goal: to join a club that would eventually beat the Dodgers.

And as Chandler Rome, who covers Astros activities for The Athletic, noted, those words will make Imai a crowd favorite in Houston.

Tatsuya Imai couldn't have endeared himself better to Astros fans after his comments about wanting to beat the Dodgers, says @Chandler_Rome. pic.twitter.com/yO6Ikn2LX8

– Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 2, 2026

Historically, the two clubs have had a rivalry since the Astros were in the Nationals. This rivalry was renewed when the two clubs faced off in 2017, when the Astros won the World Series.

And the signal theft saga, which came to light a few years later, added fuel to the fire.

In Houston, that said, the Dodgers are (really) not a crowd favorite, and you'd think that seeing the Astros sign a guy who hates them just as much would put a smile on fans' faces.

It's a bit like the Red Sox signing a guy who's always hated the Yankees.

We'll see if Imai can get the Dodgers right with his new team, but he's quickly won the hearts of the fans. And if he performs on the field as well, that love will only grow stronger.

This content was created with the help of AI.