Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai has agreed to a three-year deal with the Houston Astros, sources inform, marking one of the biggest moves in MLB free agency.
The contract includes an opt-out clause after each season and can be worth up to $63 million, News.Az reports, citing The New York Post.
The right-handed fireballer, one of Japan’s top starting pitchers, drew interest from multiple MLB teams, including the New York Yankees, before finalizing the deal with the Astros.
Imai, 27, is the third high-profile Japanese starter to come to MLB in as many years, joining Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2023 offseason) and Roki Sasaki (2024).
Unlike that pair, who both signed with the Dodgers and have helped the team win back-to-back World Series, Imai wanted to forge his own path.
He had a 45-day window to sign with teams that would have expired Jan.
“I rather take (the Dodgers) down,” Imai said in an interview with Japanese media, per MLB.com.
“Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside (Shohei) Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki,” Imai said, “but winning against a team like that and becoming a World Champion would be the most valuable thing in my life.”
Imai has an elite 99-mph fastball that he pairs with a slider, and he’s posted a 2.14 ERA spanning the last two years for the Seibu Lions of the Japan Pacific League.
He’s struck out more than a batter per innings in each of the last four seasons, including 187 punchouts over 173 1/3 innings in 2024 and 178 strikeouts spanning 163 2/3 innings last season.
Imai posted a 3.07 ERA in 187 games in Japan with 1,045 strikeouts in 1077 2/3 innings.
Those stats made him one of the top free agents in a class that lacked aces but included strong options Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez and Rangers Suarez, among others.
The Blue Jays signed Cease for $210 million over seven years in a stunning move following their unexpected run to Game 7 of the World Series.
“You have a 27-year-old pitcher who throws 98, 99,” agent Scott Boras said about Imai during the winter meetings in Orlando. “Teams look at that and say, ‘Believe me, Imai wildest dreams I never expected someone to be available like that.”
News.Az
AloJapan.com