Overview
- ESPN and MLB.com report Imai agreed to a three-year contract with Houston that guarantees $54 million, includes opt-outs after each season, and can reach $63 million, while the club has not yet announced the deal.
- The decision comes as his 45-day posting window closed, following in-person meetings in Los Angeles and widespread interest from teams such as the Mets, White Sox, Phillies and Padres.
- The outcome undercuts early projections that suggested a nine-figure guarantee, signaling recalibrated valuations for top NPB pitchers this winter.
- Under the posting system, the Astros will owe the Seibu Lions a release fee tied to the contract value, and the deal gives Imai one of the highest average annual values for a Japanese pitcher coming to MLB outside Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
- Imai, 27, posted a 1.92 ERA with 178 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings in 2025 for Seibu, featuring a mid-90s fastball, a swing-and-miss slider, and a deeper mix that includes a changeup and splitter.