Tatsuya Imai was a big free agent pitcher on the market who ended up signing this week. Though the Houston Astros decided to give it a go with the Japanese pitcher, apparently other teams had some concerns.
ESPN’s Buster Olney reported on Thursday that there are “some doubts” among MLB teams about whether Imai will find success in MLB. Olney says that is the reason why Imai structured his contract with Houston to have opt-outs after each season.
There are doubts among some teams about whether Imai will succeed in MLB, so his contract — with the opt-outs — is effectively a bet on himself. If he has a strong year in ‘26, he could hit the open market again after the next CBA is resolved, when teams are typically more…
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 1, 2026
Imai’s contract is for three years and totals $54 million, though it can be worth up to $63 million. Imai will have the option to terminate his contract after the first and second seasons, which means he can turn it into a 1-year deal if he has a big season and decides he wants to retest free agency.
Imai, 27, was a three-time NPB All-Star for the Saitama Seibu Lions. Last season for Seibu, Imai went 10-5 with a glowing 1.92 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP, and 172 strikeouts over 24 total appearances (spanning 163.2 innings pitched).
Teams apparently have some concerns about how his fastball will fare in MLB.
“Teams liked Imai — around 15 at least checked in on him, per league sources — but some scouts and executives from different clubs said pitch data hurt his market. Some evaluators harbored concerns over how Imai’s fastball would fare in the majors.”https://t.co/jtM2Xs7A4w
— Electro (@ImNotHuman123) January 2, 2026
Imai averaged just under 95 mph on his fastball in Japan last season.
