Tatsuya Imai signing with Astros

Tatusya Imai’s free agency process was shrouded in a bit of mystery, with numerous teams being the front runners. But in the end, Imai is heading to the AL West to begin his MLB career.

The Houston Astros have signed the right-hander, via Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Imai has agreed to a three-year deal. While the financials haven’t been revealed, it’s set to have the highest Average Annual Value for any Japanese pitcher outside of Yoshinobu Yamamato, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Specifically, Imai’s deal maxes out at $63 million, via Chandler Rome of The Athletic. He is set to make $18 million per season, with the potential for $21 million based on innings pitcher. The deal also comes with $54 million guaranteed, via Heyman.

The Astros watched Framber Valdez enter free agency after the season. If they weren’t going to re-sign him, Houston needed to find an apt replacement. In Imai, the Astros now have Valdez’s replacement and another top flight pitcher for the top of their rotation.

Imai spent eight years in NPB, appearing in 159 games. He pitched to a 3.15 ERA and 907/468 K/BB ratio. He was named an All-Star three times, including in both 2024 and 2025.

The Astros do have pitchers in their rotation such as Hunter Brown and Christian Javier. But it was clear they needed another spark, especially if Valdez was leaving. While Houston wasn’t named as an Imai contender throughout the process, clearly they were at the top of the list.

Imai must prove he can make a successful jump into MLB. But the Astros are certainly confident of his potential.