This supplied photo shows Tatsuya Imai of the Seibu Lions. (Kyodo)
NEW YORK (Kyodo) — Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai has agreed to a three-year, $54 million deal with the Houston Astros, MLB.com reported Thursday citing a source.
The 27-year-old joined the Lions in 2017 out of high school as their top draft pick and posted double-digit wins for the past three seasons, leading the Pacific League with 187 strikeouts in 2024.
Imai could earn $3 million in incentives if he throws 100 innings in 2026, which would also trigger his base salary to be raised to $21 million in the following two years, the report said.
He had longer-term deals with lower average annual values from other clubs but chose the Astros on the shorter-term, higher-AAV deal with opt-outs, it added.
Imai posted a 10-5 record in 2025 with the Lions, with his 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts ranking among the PL’s best in both categories. He went 58-45 with a 3.15 ERA and 907 strikeouts over 963-2/3 innings in Nippon Professional Baseball.
An NPB player can move to the majors either as a free agent or posted player, in which his NPB club receives a release fee from his new MLB team based on the contract amount.