Imai to the Astros

[Cardinals1964]

Astros To Sign Tatsuya Imai
By AJ Eustace | January 1, 2026 at 11:10am CDT

The Astros and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are in agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that Imai can earn up to $3MM per year in incentives if he reaches 100 innings. The deal contains opt-outs after every year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Imai was one of the top starters available in free agency and coming off a career-best 1.92 ERA season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It was reported several days ago that he was meeting with teams in-person in advance of his January 2 signing deadline. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles were among the clubs interested in signing him, so the Astros are a bit of a surprise destination.


glad the Cubs didn't sign him.

Again, the Cards standing with their hands in the pockets whistling show tunes.

Why would anyone want to sign with the Cardinals right now unless they are a rehab project or washed up?
Who would you sign with if you were in their place?

Whomever offered the best contract.

So, like I said, only rebound players, because the Cardinals won’t be offering the best contracts.

[Cardinals1964]

Astros To Sign Tatsuya Imai
By AJ Eustace | January 1, 2026 at 11:10am CDT

The Astros and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are in agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that Imai can earn up to $3MM per year in incentives if he reaches 100 innings. The deal contains opt-outs after every year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Imai was one of the top starters available in free agency and coming off a career-best 1.92 ERA season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It was reported several days ago that he was meeting with teams in-person in advance of his January 2 signing deadline. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles were among the clubs interested in signing him, so the Astros are a bit of a surprise destination.


glad the Cubs didn't sign him.

Again, the Cards standing with their hands in the pockets whistling show tunes.

Imai has an opt out after each season.
That is NOT the type of 3 year deal STL should be signing with any pitcher right now.
The Cardinals need more certainty and stability than that.
Not every player who signs with another team is a lost opportunity.

Quality is quality. They should be signing quality players. The fact that they have open pitching spots and weren't even mentioned in connection speaks volumes. He appears to be a quality option and once he got here maybe he'd love it. We will never know though.

Who should they have signed and for how much? Let me know what you’re thinking.

[CCard]

Astros To Sign Tatsuya Imai
By AJ Eustace | January 1, 2026 at 11:10am CDT

The Astros and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are in agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that Imai can earn up to $3MM per year in incentives if he reaches 100 innings. The deal contains opt-outs after every year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Imai was one of the top starters available in free agency and coming off a career-best 1.92 ERA season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It was reported several days ago that he was meeting with teams in-person in advance of his January 2 signing deadline. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles were among the clubs interested in signing him, so the Astros are a bit of a surprise destination.


glad the Cubs didn't sign him.

Again, the Cards standing with their hands in the pockets whistling show tunes.

Imai has an opt out after each season.
That is NOT the type of 3 year deal STL should be signing with any pitcher right now.
The Cardinals need more certainty and stability than that.
Not every player who signs with another team is a lost opportunity.

Quality is quality. They should be signing quality players. The fact that they have open pitching spots and weren't even mentioned in connection speaks volumes. He appears to be a quality option and once he got here maybe he'd love it. We will never know though.

May is on a one-year deal.
Imai has an opt out each year.
The last thing STL needs is to have 40% of a starting rotation walk away at the end of next season.
Not every player is a fit.

Shota re-upped with the Cubs. Sometimes a player likes a place after spending a year there. That used to be the Cards mantra. Get them here and they'll fall in love with St. Louis and mid-western hospitality. Whatever happened to "The Cardinal Way"?

[Melville]

Astros To Sign Tatsuya Imai
By AJ Eustace | January 1, 2026 at 11:10am CDT

The Astros and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are in agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that Imai can earn up to $3MM per year in incentives if he reaches 100 innings. The deal contains opt-outs after every year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Imai was one of the top starters available in free agency and coming off a career-best 1.92 ERA season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It was reported several days ago that he was meeting with teams in-person in advance of his January 2 signing deadline. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles were among the clubs interested in signing him, so the Astros are a bit of a surprise destination.


glad the Cubs didn't sign him.

Again, the Cards standing with their hands in the pockets whistling show tunes.

Imai has an opt out after each season.
That is NOT the type of 3 year deal STL should be signing with any pitcher right now.
The Cardinals need more certainty and stability than that.
Not every player who signs with another team is a lost opportunity.

Quality is quality. They should be signing quality players. The fact that they have open pitching spots and weren't even mentioned in connection speaks volumes. He appears to be a quality option and once he got here maybe he'd love it. We will never know though.

May is on a one-year deal.
Imai has an opt out each year.
The last thing STL needs is to have 40% of a starting rotation walk away at the end of next season.
Not every player is a fit.

Shota re-upped with the Cubs. Sometimes a player likes a place after spending a year there. That used to be the Cards mantra. Get them here and they'll fall in love with St. Louis and mid-western hospitality. Whatever happened to "The Cardinal Way"?

Marketing slogan.
Nothing more.

[BrockFloodMaris]

Astros To Sign Tatsuya Imai
By AJ Eustace | January 1, 2026 at 11:10am CDT

The Astros and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are in agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that Imai can earn up to $3MM per year in incentives if he reaches 100 innings. The deal contains opt-outs after every year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Imai was one of the top starters available in free agency and coming off a career-best 1.92 ERA season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It was reported several days ago that he was meeting with teams in-person in advance of his January 2 signing deadline. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles were among the clubs interested in signing him, so the Astros are a bit of a surprise destination.


glad the Cubs didn't sign him.

Again, the Cards standing with their hands in the pockets whistling show tunes.

Why would anyone want to sign with the Cardinals right now unless they are a rehab project or washed up?
Who would you sign with if you were in their place?

I’m continuously amused by the posters around cards talk that refuse to acknowledge the rebuild that is underway within this organization. The only people that are standing around with their hands in their pocket, whistling show tunes are the folks that have their head in the sand and refuse to admit what’s going on. Much has been written and recorded around the strategy that this organization is in the midst of.

Didn't Bloom come out and say it's not a rebuild?

Bloom has said a lot of things this offseason.His message has been the same each time. The Cards are in the midst of an organizational rebuild from the inside. Player development is at the core of it.

Why do I bother replying to the trolls. They just whine and complain and don't read or pay attention or acknowledge what is so.

[RamFan08NY]

Astros To Sign Tatsuya Imai
By AJ Eustace | January 1, 2026 at 11:10am CDT

The Astros and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are in agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that Imai can earn up to $3MM per year in incentives if he reaches 100 innings. The deal contains opt-outs after every year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Imai was one of the top starters available in free agency and coming off a career-best 1.92 ERA season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It was reported several days ago that he was meeting with teams in-person in advance of his January 2 signing deadline. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles were among the clubs interested in signing him, so the Astros are a bit of a surprise destination.


glad the Cubs didn't sign him.

Again, the Cards standing with their hands in the pockets whistling show tunes.

Sure, because God knows that any free agent would MUCH rather sign with a rebuilding team instead of a playoff contender!

[RamFan08NY]

Astros To Sign Tatsuya Imai
By AJ Eustace | January 1, 2026 at 11:10am CDT

The Astros and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are in agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that Imai can earn up to $3MM per year in incentives if he reaches 100 innings. The deal contains opt-outs after every year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Imai was one of the top starters available in free agency and coming off a career-best 1.92 ERA season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It was reported several days ago that he was meeting with teams in-person in advance of his January 2 signing deadline. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles were among the clubs interested in signing him, so the Astros are a bit of a surprise destination.


glad the Cubs didn't sign him.

Again, the Cards standing with their hands in the pockets whistling show tunes.

Why would anyone want to sign with the Cardinals right now unless they are a rehab project or washed up?
Who would you sign with if you were in their place?

Whomever offered the best contract.

So, like I said, only rebound players, because the Cardinals won’t be offering the best contracts.

And, because of the state of the team, The Cards would have to greatly over pay to get a FA to go there.

Why cant some fans realize that this is not the Cardinals of 15 years ago.

[ScotchMIrish]

Astros To Sign Tatsuya Imai
By AJ Eustace | January 1, 2026 at 11:10am CDT

The Astros and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are in agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that Imai can earn up to $3MM per year in incentives if he reaches 100 innings. The deal contains opt-outs after every year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Imai was one of the top starters available in free agency and coming off a career-best 1.92 ERA season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It was reported several days ago that he was meeting with teams in-person in advance of his January 2 signing deadline. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles were among the clubs interested in signing him, so the Astros are a bit of a surprise destination.


glad the Cubs didn't sign him.

Cubs will see how he does this year and then if he does good and opts out they will sign him.

[scoutyjones2]

Astros To Sign Tatsuya Imai
By AJ Eustace | January 1, 2026 at 11:10am CDT

The Astros and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are in agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that Imai can earn up to $3MM per year in incentives if he reaches 100 innings. The deal contains opt-outs after every year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Imai was one of the top starters available in free agency and coming off a career-best 1.92 ERA season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It was reported several days ago that he was meeting with teams in-person in advance of his January 2 signing deadline. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles were among the clubs interested in signing him, so the Astros are a bit of a surprise destination.


glad the Cubs didn't sign him.

Again, the Cards standing with their hands in the pockets whistling show tunes.

Why would anyone want to sign with the Cardinals right now unless they are a rehab project or washed up?
Who would you sign with if you were in their place?

I’m continuously amused by the posters around cards talk that refuse to acknowledge the rebuild that is underway within this organization. The only people that are standing around with their hands in their pocket, whistling show tunes are the folks that have their head in the sand and refuse to admit what’s going on. Much has been written and recorded around the strategy that this organization is in the midst of.

Didn't Bloom come out and say it's not a rebuild?

Bloom has said a lot of things this offseason.His message has been the same each time. The Cards are in the midst of an organizational rebuild from the inside. Player development is at the core of it.

Why do I bother replying to the trolls. They just whine and complain and don't read or pay attention or acknowledge what is so.

Sorry this frustrates you but you even note "Bloom has said a lot of things..."

Chaim Bloom, the president of baseball operations for the St. Louis Cardinals, has stated that the team is not undertaking a traditional rebuild. Instead, he is focusing on building the organization from the ground up, emphasizing player development and staff training. Bloom's approach is characterized by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a commitment to learning and improvement within the team. He has been vocal about the need for boldness and humility in the face of competition, and his leadership is seen as a shift from previous organizational practices that may have been less focused on long-term success.

In December he said this word salad

“Everybody who works for this organization … there’s something we can all do to get us closer to where we want to be. Even when we’re planning long term, we have to attack each day with that in mind. … You never know what might happen today that could be really important to helping us accomplishing our goals – whether that’s in 2026 or beyond.”

[rockondlouie]

Sorry this frustrates you but you even note "Bloom has said a lot of things..."

Chaim Bloom, the president of baseball operations for the St. Louis Cardinals, has stated that the team is not undertaking a traditional rebuild. Instead, he is focusing on building the organization from the ground up, emphasizing player development and staff training. Bloom's approach is characterized by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a commitment to learning and improvement within the team. He has been vocal about the need for boldness and humility in the face of competition, and his leadership is seen as a shift from previous organizational practices that may have been less focused on long-term success.

In December he said this word salad

“Everybody who works for this organization … there’s something we can all do to get us closer to where we want to be. Even when we’re planning long term, we have to attack each day with that in mind. … You never know what might happen today that could be really important to helping us accomplishing our goals – whether that’s in 2026 or beyond.”

^^^This is correct ^^^

Bloom has avoided the term re-build and for good reason, this is a re-set focused on long-term goals and strategic moves.

I've called it a "Back-to-the-Future" move by BDWJr/Bloom to take the Cardinals back to the days of J. Luhnow and the system churning out quality prospects.

We fans and the media are the one's who call it a re-build.

[Cardinals1964]

Sorry this frustrates you but you even note "Bloom has said a lot of things..."

Chaim Bloom, the president of baseball operations for the St. Louis Cardinals, has stated that the team is not undertaking a traditional rebuild. Instead, he is focusing on building the organization from the ground up, emphasizing player development and staff training. Bloom's approach is characterized by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a commitment to learning and improvement within the team. He has been vocal about the need for boldness and humility in the face of competition, and his leadership is seen as a shift from previous organizational practices that may have been less focused on long-term success.

In December he said this word salad

“Everybody who works for this organization … there’s something we can all do to get us closer to where we want to be. Even when we’re planning long term, we have to attack each day with that in mind. … You never know what might happen today that could be really important to helping us accomplishing our goals – whether that’s in 2026 or beyond.”

^^^This is correct ^^^

Bloom has avoided the term re-build and for good reason, this is a re-set focused on long-term goals and strategic moves.

I've called it a "Back-to-the-Future" move by BDWJr/Bloom to take the Cardinals back to the days of J. Luhnow and the system churning out quality prospects.

We fans and the media are the one's who call it a re-build.

Who cares what they call it? It’s what they do and the results in the future that matter. I for one are just happy to see some sort of change. I never liked Moe’s operating procedure.

[rockondlouie]

Sorry this frustrates you but you even note "Bloom has said a lot of things..."

Chaim Bloom, the president of baseball operations for the St. Louis Cardinals, has stated that the team is not undertaking a traditional rebuild. Instead, he is focusing on building the organization from the ground up, emphasizing player development and staff training. Bloom's approach is characterized by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a commitment to learning and improvement within the team. He has been vocal about the need for boldness and humility in the face of competition, and his leadership is seen as a shift from previous organizational practices that may have been less focused on long-term success.

In December he said this word salad

“Everybody who works for this organization … there’s something we can all do to get us closer to where we want to be. Even when we’re planning long term, we have to attack each day with that in mind. … You never know what might happen today that could be really important to helping us accomplishing our goals – whether that’s in 2026 or beyond.”

^^^This is correct ^^^

Bloom has avoided the term re-build and for good reason, this is a re-set focused on long-term goals and strategic moves.

I've called it a "Back-to-the-Future" move by BDWJr/Bloom to take the Cardinals back to the days of J. Luhnow and the system churning out quality prospects.

We fans and the media are the one's who call it a re-build.

Who cares what they call it? It’s what they do and the results in the future that matter. I for one are just happy to see some sort of change. I never liked Moe’s operating procedure.

Agreed

I have no problem w/what they're doing, something had to change.

And we're on the same page when it comes to Mo who I've been calling for being removed for many years.

[CCard]

Astros To Sign Tatsuya Imai
By AJ Eustace | January 1, 2026 at 11:10am CDT

The Astros and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are in agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that Imai can earn up to $3MM per year in incentives if he reaches 100 innings. The deal contains opt-outs after every year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Imai was one of the top starters available in free agency and coming off a career-best 1.92 ERA season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It was reported several days ago that he was meeting with teams in-person in advance of his January 2 signing deadline. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles were among the clubs interested in signing him, so the Astros are a bit of a surprise destination.


glad the Cubs didn't sign him.

Again, the Cards standing with their hands in the pockets whistling show tunes.

Sure, because God knows that any free agent would MUCH rather sign with a rebuilding team instead of a playoff contender!

Again, Dollars matter. As Lance Berkman said, "It's always about the dollars."

[Cardinals1964]

Astros To Sign Tatsuya Imai
By AJ Eustace | January 1, 2026 at 11:10am CDT

The Astros and right-hander Tatsuya Imai are in agreement on a three-year, $54MM contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that Imai can earn up to $3MM per year in incentives if he reaches 100 innings. The deal contains opt-outs after every year, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Imai was one of the top starters available in free agency and coming off a career-best 1.92 ERA season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It was reported several days ago that he was meeting with teams in-person in advance of his January 2 signing deadline. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles were among the clubs interested in signing him, so the Astros are a bit of a surprise destination.


glad the Cubs didn't sign him.

Again, the Cards standing with their hands in the pockets whistling show tunes.

Sure, because God knows that any free agent would MUCH rather sign with a rebuilding team instead of a playoff contender!

Again, Dollars matter. As Lance Berkman said, "It's always about the dollars."

Then why do CT gurus get mad when a player signs elsewhere when they could have came here for only $5 million less?