HOUSTON (AP) – Right-hander Tatsuya Imai and the Houston Astros finalized their $54 million, three-year contract on Friday.
Houston opened a roster spot by designating right-hander Kaleb Ort for assignment.
Imai gets a $2 million signing bonus and salaries of $16 million this year and $18 million in each of the next two seasons.
Based on his 2026 performance, his 2027 salary would escalate by $2 million each for 80, 90 and 100 innings, and his 2028 salary by $1 million for each level.
If he doesn´t pitch 80 innings in 2026 and does in 2027, his 2028 salary would rise by $1 million. If he doesn´t pitch 90 innings in 2026 and does in 2027, his 2028 salary would increase by another $1 million. And if he doesn´t pitch 100 innings in 2026 and does in 2027, his 2028 salary also would increase by another $1 million.
Imai can opt out after the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
FILE – Tatsuya Imai wears Seibu Lions’ jersey during a news conference in Tokorozawa, Saitama prefecture, Japan, on Dec. 9, 2016. (Kyodo News via AP, File)
Imai receives the third-highest average annual value for a Japanese pitcher entering Major League Baseball behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto´s $27.08 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deal that started in 2024 and Masahiro Tanaka´s $22.14 million with the New York Yankees in a contract that ran from 2014-20.
A 27-year-old righty, Imai went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA last season for the Pacific League´s Seibu Lions. He struck out 178 batters in 163 2/3 innings.
Imai is 58-45 with a 3.15 ERA in eight seasons with Seibu, with 907 strikeouts in 963 2/3 innings. He is a three-time All-Star.
Imai pitched eight innings of a combined no-hitter against Fukuoka on April 18. He struck out 17 against Yokohama on June 17, breaking Daisuke Matsuzaka´s previous team record of 16 from 2004.
Under MLB´s posting agreement with Nippon Professional Baseball, Seibu will get a posting fee of $9.675 million from the Astros and a supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.
