"There were growing pains with Yoshinobu Yamamoto" - Astros insider doubts Tatsuya Imai's Shohei Ohtani-like transition

In a shocking move, the Houston Astros have agreed to a multi-year contract with Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who is considered to be the best pitcher coming into the MLB from NPB this offseason.

Players coming from that part of the world take some time to adjust, as seen in the cases of LA Dodgers aces Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, as well as Kodai Senga of the New York Mets. Not everyone is like Shohei Ohtani, who can immediately reap returns. That's exactly what Astros insider Chandler Rome warned about this deal, saying don't expect him to be stellar right out of the gate.

"There’s always going to be some adjustment, and the transition is never as seamless as some people make it seem," Rome said on Crush City Territory. "Ohtani is a freak. Coming over and just doing what he did immediately, it just doesn’t happen often."

Rome cited the above-mentioned players as an example that not everyone can adjust quickly to the most competitive baseball league in the world.

"You saw it, I think, with Kodai Senga and the Mets," Rome continued. "There have been some growing pains with him. I expect there to be some growing pains with Imanaga. Heck, there were some growing pains with Yoshinobu Yamamoto his first year in Los Angeles. "That’s something I think you come to expect when guys come over from NPB. It’s a different baseball. It’s different, the talent level here is just different. MLB is better than NPB. They have better talent. They have better hitters. It’s just a better quality of league."

Astros well placed to counter Tatsuya Imai's adjustment period says insider

Astros insider Chandler Rome said the team has done well in terms of working on their depth. He believes the franchise is not expecting Tatsuya Imai to be a sub-3.00 ERA pitcher. If any transition period is required, the franchise has enough to counter that.

Rome cited notable offseason additions to back up his claim.

"I do think, Tyler, what they’ve done is they’ve built out, just by what they’ve done this winter, by adding Weissert and Pearson and Burroughs, and what they have coming back, they have enough insurance and enough depth," Rome said. "They’re not going to be counting on this guy to have a sub-3 ERA from the beginning. They’ve built in and built up enough depth for him."

Tatsuya Imai has agreed to a three-year deal with opt-outs in place after each season. The guaranteed value of the contract is $54 million, with incentives increasing it to $63 million.

He played for the Saitama Seibu Lions in NPB, where he registered a sub-2.00 ERA in 2025.

Edited by Krutik Jain