The Astros signed Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai to a $54M, three-year deal with up to $63M in incentives.

The Houston Astros have signed Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai to a three-year, $54 million contract with the potential to reach $63 million through opt-out clauses and performance incentives. The 27-year-old posted a 10-5 record and a 1.92 ERA in 24 starts for the Seibu Lions in Nippon Professional Baseball’s 2025 season, striking out 178 batters in 163 2/3 innings. The deal, which includes a $2 million signing bonus and up to $3 million in 2026 innings-based incentives, ranks as the second-highest average annual value for a Japanese pitcher in MLB history, behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Imai, who has a career 58-45 record and 3.15 ERA over eight NPB seasons, drew interest from multiple teams, including the Yankees and Cubs, but chose Houston for its rotation needs and playoff aspirations.