Astros agree to 3-year, $54M deal with Japanese RHP Tatsuya Imai, per AP source. Contract includes opt-outs, bonuses to $63M. Details on terms, stats, and $9.675M posting fee.
As per reports Astros Sign Japanese Pitcher Tatsuya Imai to $54 Million Deal (Image: File)
HOUSTON, January 2, 2026 — As per reports, Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai and the Houston Astros have agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Thursday. The deal, which includes player opt-outs and performance bonuses, brings the Seibu Lions ace to Major League Baseball pending a Friday deadline.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been officially announced. Under MLB's posting agreement with Nippon Professional Baseball, the contract must be finalized by 5 p.m. EST Friday.
Imai will receive a $2 million signing bonus and salaries of $16 million in 2026 and $18 million in both 2027 and 2028. He can earn an additional $3 million in performance bonuses for the 2026 season: $1 million each for reaching 80, 90, and 100 innings pitched. Any bonuses earned will also escalate his salaries in the final two years, potentially raising the total value to $63 million over three years.
The contract gives Imai an average annual value of $18 million. That represents the third-highest AAV for a Japanese pitcher entering MLB, trailing only Yoshinobu Yamamoto's $27.08 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Masahiro Tanaka's $22.14 million with the New York Yankees. The deal includes opt-out clauses after both the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Right-handed starting Tatsuya Imai, 27, was a member of the Pacific League's Seibu Lions for eight seasons. He just finished a stellar 2025 campaign in which he went 10-5 in 163 2/3 innings with a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts. A three-time All-Star, his career totals with Seibu are 58-45 with a 3.15 ERA and 907 strikeouts in 963 2/3 innings.
Imai pitched eight innings of a combined no-hitter against Fukuoka on April 18, 2025. On June 17, 2025, he struck out 17 batters against Yokohama, breaking the previous Seibu Lions single-game strikeout record of 16 held by Daisuke Matsuzaka since 2004. His performance established him as one of NPB's top pitchers before his MLB move.
Under the MLB-NPB posting agreement, the Seibu Lions will receive a posting fee of $9.675 million from the Houston Astros. In addition, Imai's deal entitles the Japanese club to an additional 15% of any earned performance bonuses, salary escalators, and exercised options.
