{"id":502488,"date":"2026-01-02T07:24:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T07:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/502488\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T07:24:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T07:24:15","slug":"houston-astros-land-japanese-ace-tatsuya-imai-with-major-mlb-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/502488\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston Astros land Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai with major MLB contract"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The best Japanese starting pitcher on the market is no longer available.<\/p>\n<p>Free agent right-hander Tatsuya Imai and the <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsdata.usatoday.com\/baseball\/mlb\/teams\/houston-astros\/242\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Houston Astros;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Houston Astros<\/a> have agreed on a three-year contract with opt outs that could be worth up to $63 million, multiple news outlets reported on Thursday, Jan. 1.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>The agreement comes one day before Imai&#8217;s 45-day window to sign with an MLB team was set to expire on Friday, Jan. 2.<\/p>\n<p>1 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>Since 2000, future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols&#8217; 101.3 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) leads all players, with Alex Rodriguez tied for second ways back at 89.7 WAR. See the rest of the top 25.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/9654497957d4427689dfc3fc2e4f3e29.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>1 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>Since 2000, future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols&#8217; 101.3 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) leads all players, with Alex Rodriguez tied for second ways back at 89.7 WAR. See the rest of the top 25.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/714490cb1f50cbd0acce71214f8754a2.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>2 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>2. Alex Rodriguez &#8211; 89.7<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/567796f106ce31402e24afd14cd81988.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>3 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>3. Adrian Beltre &#8211; 89.7<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/47c2d74adbaeeb5170e1630640c8d9dc.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>4 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>4. Mike Trout &#8211; 87.5<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/345bf2981c12de3f64667b9d1ab22c94.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>5 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>5. Justin Verlander &#8211; 82.2<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/18d4a5e6f5eea06f16b568915bdc864c.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>6 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>6. Clayton Kershaw &#8211; 78.1<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/edf714eb760310dc8f14b29f5ed8a30f.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>7 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>7. Mookie Betts &#8211; 75.2<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/912148158481d38064ef5bb803a2d975.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>8 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>8. Max Scherzer &#8211; 74.7<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/adadc5d085ebe2bcf8fecb886cef5fb1.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>9 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>9. Zack Greinke &#8211; 72.4<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6e9bff8bb595fc4c0a49c2fabe7e077a.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>10 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>10. Robinson Cano &#8211; 68.7<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/a52f41f82574796b6d407a05bdbeda75.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>11 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>11. Miguel Cabrera &#8211; 67.2<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/165b4d1a7c937b2214cd0a3cfe0768f5.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>12 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>12. Carlos Beltran &#8211; 65.1<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/44d4484175b9790838406a84bc7d5a0f.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>13 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>13. Chase Utley &#8211; 64.6<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cfdcfc1c4645d6f2d658851bb7ed3a3a.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>14 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>14. Freddie Freeman &#8211; 64.2<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/f5ad9d8e224994509fd2aa64ffb54351.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>15 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>15. Paul Goldschmidt &#8211; 63.8<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/4b36b6966f747f3ee0efe6d0ac23c47a.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>16 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>16. Joey Votto &#8211; 63.6<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1cab4624687f57c28a394835db144b36.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>17 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>17. Roy Halladay &#8211; 62.4<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/46f24b0e889fcf7591c95c4e94521142.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>18 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>18. Aaron Judge &#8211; 62.3<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/63daca9dfe0a6b1049e37f12a4b998ca.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>19 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>19. CC Sabathia &#8211; 61.8<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/e13faddd048f66ed1ccad7ebbae9bdb4.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>20 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>20. Manny Machado &#8211; 61.7<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/be75efd5d02cf35cb7a276d0465da18b.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>21 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>21. Ichiro Suzuki &#8211; 60<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/e41db3bde1873b0b06a79e7f0faf1bf0.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>22 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>22. Mark Buehrle &#8211; 60<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/171a30cc96537841021539eab2a0ae5b.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>23 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>23. Barry Bonds &#8211; 59.1<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/a1fc0fa8f4fc21fbaec202de813aab1d.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>24 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>24. Evan Longoria &#8211; 58.9<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"cropped-img\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/5e0cfae9558c4bc453105acfa431edb7.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>25 \/ 25<\/p>\n<p>Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement<\/p>\n<p>25. Chipper Jones &#8211; 58.3<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">ANTHONY RENDON CONTRACT: <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/anthony-rendon-contract-angels-restructured-234555169.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:What we know about Angels move to restructure deal;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">What we know about Angels move to restructure deal<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The deal includes $54 million guaranteed and will pay the former Nippon Professional Baseball star $18 million a year with $3 million in performance bonuses that could make the total $21 million per year, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JonHeyman\/status\/2006785650478215584\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:MLB reporter Jon Heyman reported;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">MLB reporter Jon Heyman reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Imai had longer-term deals with a lower annual salary on the table, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/news\/tatsuya-imai-astros-deal\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:according to MLB.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">according to MLB.com<\/a>, but chose to go to Houston on a shorter-term deal with a higher average annual value and opt outs. The 27-year-old was 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA, 178 strikeouts and 45 walks in 163\u2154 innings with the Seibu Lions in 2025. He went 58-45 with a 3.15 ERA in eight seasons with Seibu, with 907 strikeouts in 963\u2154 innings.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Imai&#8217;s agent, Scott Boras, recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/news\/mlb-comparisons-for-tatsuya-imai\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:compared him;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">compared him<\/a> to 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a 12-year, $325-million contract with the <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsdata.usatoday.com\/baseball\/mlb\/teams\/los-angeles-dodgers\/243\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Los Angeles Dodgers;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> before the 2024 season.<\/p>\n<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/mlb\/astros\/2026\/01\/01\/imai-tatsuya-contract-astros-salary-japan-mlb\/87984491007\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Houston Astros sign Tatsuya Imai: Contract, salary for Japanese ace;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Houston Astros sign Tatsuya Imai: Contract, salary for Japanese ace<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The best Japanese starting pitcher on the market is no longer available. Free agent right-hander Tatsuya Imai and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":502489,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2389],"tags":[9394,42,5,350,139,54,3211,8611,57,4,2353,3944,4658,313],"class_list":{"0":"post-502488","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston-astros","8":"tag-anthony-rendon","9":"tag-astros","10":"tag-baseball","11":"tag-free-agent","12":"tag-houston","13":"tag-houston-astros","14":"tag-houstonastros","15":"tag-jon-heyman","16":"tag-los-angeles-dodgers","17":"tag-mlb","18":"tag-nippon-professional-baseball","19":"tag-seibu-lions","20":"tag-tatsuya-imai","21":"tag-yoshinobu-yamamoto"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/115824314364738176","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/502488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=502488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/502488\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/502489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=502488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=502488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=502488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}