The Houston Astros have made a decision that could significantly impact the organization’s on-field future. 

No, the Astros did not hire a new front office leader or manager; instead, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taiwan and the country’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and sports authority. The agreement focuses on a first-of-its-kind collaboration to boost baseball industry development, player scouting and talent cultivation between the United States and Taiwan. 

“We want to engage more because we have Kai-wei on our team and get to learn more about Taiwan and to put more resources here to scout and develop players like him to play in MLB,” Crane told reporters after the ceremony. 

Teng is one of more than 20 Taiwanese players who have played in Major League Baseball so far, and Crane suggested that number will likely increase in the future. 

“Oh, there’s a lot of potential. I’m going to go to the game tonight,” Crane said. “I’ve not been (to) a game here before, so I’m excited about that. And I’m sure we’ll see some people that are qualified at some point to play in MLB.” 

After the ceremony, Crane and Teng watched Game 3 of the 2026 CPBL Taiwan Series between the Wei Chuan Dragons and the CTBC Brothers at the Taipei Dome. The Dragons won 6-0 to take a 3-0 series lead.  

“You hope you can pick up some more talent from there,” Crane said at Imai’s introductory press conference. “There’s definitely Major League Baseball talent, and they’re developing the players.”

The Astros’ agreement with Taiwan builds on their established efforts in the region, focusing on player training in the United States, potential competitions between the two countries, and possible talent exchanges. In addition, the parties will likely formalize commercial and technical collaborations in the future. 

What’s unclear about the MOU is how actively the Astros will be involved in holding tryouts, running camps and scouting leagues in Taiwan. The Taiwanese government’s statement calls the MOU a starting point and says the ministries will gradually turn cooperation intentions into concrete plans.

The MOU doesn’t outline any exclusivity, but the relationship could mirror the Los Angeles Dodgers’ decades-long investment in Japan, which has produced stars like Hideo Nomo and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The Dodgers’ relationship with Japan also targeted the country’s baseball fans and businesses. The Dodgers have gone on goodwill tours to Japan since the 1950s, played exhibition games and hosted spring training clinics.