*This content was translated by AI.
The Major League posting process for "Japanese national right-hander" Tatsuya Imai (28) has ended. He left the Seibu Lions for the Houston Astros. However, the size of the contract only received a slightly lower amount than expected. It seems to be a contract with a willingness to be valued again every season. At the end of each season, you can leave at any time by inserting a clause that allows you to declare an FA (Free Agent) again.
John Heyman, a reporter for MLB Network in the U.S., said on his SNS on the 2nd (Korea time), "I-Mai is heading to Houston. The contract period is three years and the guarantee amount is 54 million dollars (about 78.1 billion won). The amount can increase to up to 63 million dollars (about 91 billion won), and it is a condition to have the authority to exercise the opt-out (a clause that can be a free agent again according to the player's will) every year.
John Heyman then said, "The New York Yankees and the New York Mets did not seriously participate in the Imai recruitment game. The Chicago Cubs entered the Imai race, but the final winner was Houston. It also included a clause that increases by $1 million for each achievement of 80 innings, 90 innings, and 100 innings. There were also proposals that had a longer contract period and a lower average annual amount, he added.
Buster Olney, a reporter with ESPN in the U.S., said, "It is true that some clubs have doubts about whether Imai will be able to succeed in the major leagues. Contracts with opt-out provisions are virtually gambling. If Imai shows good performance in the 2026 season, more clubs will move actively as the CBA (labor-management agreement) is renewed.
Japan's Sports Hochi also shed light on Imai's contract and said, "The opt-out after each season is actually the first Japanese to do so. It's a three-year contract, but I have the authority to break the existing contract at the end of the season," he said. Japan's Sponichi Annex also said, "Imai became the second highest-paid Japanese pitcher in the Major League after Yamamoto Yoshinobu (28, LA Dodgers) in terms of annual average salary. Yamamoto's annual average of 27 million dollars (about 39.1 billion won), which was a 12-year contract, was written.
Imai is the best starting pitcher in the Japanese professional baseball (NPB) and is a right-hander who served as an ace for the Japanese national team. In the last 24 regular league games in the 2025 season, he left a 10-5 record with a 1.92 ERA, and he also ranked second in the Pacific League with 178 strikeouts. The season hit rate was 0.176, which was very compliant, and the on-base-per-inning allowance (WHIP) was also quite low at 0.89. He played in three NPB All-Star games and played in the 2023 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) as a member of the Japanese national team.
In addition, Imai's consistent performance with 10 wins for three consecutive years from the 2023 season to the 2025 season was evaluated as an advantage. Yamamoto's success in the U.S., the same age, also raised the value of Imai. In order to observe this Imai directly, multiple Major League teams sent scouts to Japan last summer. At the fan festival held at Seibu's home stadium on November 23, Imai said goodbye to home fans and shed tears.
Negotiations were somewhat sluggish, but they ended up heading to Houston. A Japanese pitcher will play in Houston for the first time in two seasons since left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (35, Los Angeles Angels) in the 2024 season.
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*This content was translated by AI.
