Tatsuya Imai didn't want to become the latest in a long line of NPB imports to join the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rather, Imai chose a far tougher path, as he prefers to defeat the back-to-back World Series champions, a team that includes his Japanese World Baseball Classic teammates in Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.
On New Year's Day, Imai kept his word. The right-handed pitcher signed a three-year deal with the Houston Astros, chief among a long list of Dodgers rivals in desperate need of starting pitching, and a leg up.
Star Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai and the Houston Astros are in agreement on a free agent contract, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 1, 2026
What signing Tatsuya Imai means for the Astros
Imai is far from a finished product, and as is the case with any international player who's never pitched in MLB before, Houston is taking a gamble by signing him. That being said, the Astros don't have a deep starting staff and could lose Framber Valdez in free agency shortly. By signing Imai, they are essentially admitting as much.
Houston ranked 11th in team ERA last season. With the addition of Imai, the top-end of the Astros rotation gets a lot stronger. The two-headed monster of Imai and Hunter Brown is a force to be reckoned with, not to mention Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia and Ronel Blanco.
Inside Tatsuya Imai's confusing free-agency process
Imai's deadline to sign a free-agent deal was literally Friday, so he was running out of time to make a decision. As recently as just last week, the New York Post reported Imai was surprised by the offers he received, or lack thereof. This winter's market is moving excruciatingly slow for proven players, let alone those like Imai who have performed at a Cy Young level in Japan.
However, it shouldn't come as a major surprise that Imai had to wait until the last minute to sign such a deal. That's usually how it goes for players of his stature, as the longer Imai waited, the greater the offers he received. Imai reportedly turned down long-term offers in favor of the three-year deal he got in Houston with opt outs after each season.
Tatsuya Imai's deal with Houston is for 3 years with opt outs every year, sources tell ESPN. When terms are announced, it'll be the largest AAV for a Japanese pitcher coming over outside of Yamamoto.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) January 1, 2026
Imai's contract reflects the market for international stars not named Ohtani or Yamamoto. Both players were praised as generational superstars even before signing in the United States. Ohtani had to wait until his second round in free agency to land his $700 million deal with the Dodgers.
Imai is none of those players, at least not yet. His deal has opt-outs built in just in case, which is a smart play from his agent, Scott Boras.
Astros-Dodgers rivalry just got a whole lot juicier
As mentioned at the beginning of the piece, Imai wanted nothing with the Dodgers, despite close friendships he built with Sasaki, Ohtani and Yamamoto during the WBC. Here's what he had to say on the matter:
"Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki," Imai told Daisuke Matsuzaka. "But winning against a team like that and becoming a world champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I'd rather take them down."
The Dodgers-Astros rivalry really dates back to the aftermath of Houston's 2017 World Series title. The Astros were caught in an illegal sign-stealing scheme, which led to the firing of manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, among others. Astros players were granted immunity if they participated with MLB investigators, which to this day doesn't sit right with certain Dodgers stars. For those who need a reminder, Houston defeated Los Angeles in that Fall Classic.
I don't need to rehash the sign-stealing scandal. Books have been written about it already, and FanSided offers its own summary of events here. What I can say is this rivalry was in trouble after last season. Los Angeles and Houston are headed in two different directions, with the Astros missing the playoffs in 2025. Some fresh blood – in this case a player who wants nothing more than bragging rights in a country the Dodgers have owned when it comes to baseball talent – is exactly what the doctor ordered.