Overview
- Imai made his first public appearance in Houston at the Texans–Colts game, watching from owner Jim Crane’s suite with agent Scott Boras and waving to the crowd when shown on the videoboard.
- The Astros scheduled his introductory news conference for Monday at Daikin Park.
- The 27-year-old right-hander signed a three-year contract with opt-outs after each of the first two seasons, with the deal reportedly able to reach $63 million.
- Coming off a 10-5 record and 1.92 ERA with 178 strikeouts for Seibu in 2025, Imai brings a five-pitch arsenal that observers expect to slot behind Hunter Brown in Houston’s rotation.
- Separately, Kona Takahashi will return to Seibu for 2026 on a multi-year deal expected to include a future MLB opt-out, taking him out of immediate MLB consideration.