Astros prospects in awkward spot after Tatsuya Imai’s contract structure revealed

In signing Tatsuya Imai, the Houston Astros were able to address one of their greatest roster needs ahead of the 2026 season. Despite headwinds with their payroll, the Astros added one of the best arms on the market, and it didn't require a nine-figure guarantee or losing a valuable draft pick by signing a player with a qualifying offer attached. However, all of that doesn't mean that adding Imai didn't cost Houston something few are thinking about.

By adding Imai, the Astros have shaken up their rotation that had already added some arms. Imai is going to get every chance to work as a starter in Houston, but it means yet another roster spot is locked in, and the Astros have more arms than spots right now. Not only does that raise questions about how the newly acquired Ryan Weiss and Nate Pearson will be used, but it also makes one wonder what this means for the Astros' top pitching prospects in 2026, especially if you look at how Imai's deal is structured.

Tatsuya Imai's deal with the Astros makes managing playing time for young pitching prospects even more complicated

It would be one thing if there were more certainty in Imai's contract. However, by possessing opt-outs after each of his contract years, Imai has all of the control and makes Houston's planning tricky. If Imai pitches well in 2026, it is a mortal lock that he is going to opt out next offseason. If he doesn't pitch well, it is almost a certainty that he opts in. Neither outcome is one that the Astros would prefer, and it makes figuring out how to plan for the future very tricky.

While the Astros are tentatively planning for a six-man rotation, which helps the cause here, Houston still has more arms than available innings right now. Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Mike Burrows, and now Imai are pretty much locked into the rotation. After that, you have veteran Lance McCullers Jr. as well as Weiss and Pearson, along with young arms Spencer Arrighetti, AJ Blubaugh, Miguel UIlola, and Ethan Pecko, all among the viable starting options. Adding Imai does add some level of stability, but it comes at the cost of having the flexibility to give young arms a chance to prove themselves against major league hitters next season.

Now, there is a chance this just takes care of itself. In addition to injuries, which will almost certainly happen, Pearson may need to move to the bullpen again, and there is no guarantee whatsoever that McCullers Jr. will be a viable rotation option anymore. The old saying goes that you can never have enough pitching, and Houston isn't going to complain about having too many options.

However, developing some of those options into quality big leaguers requires committing playing time to them, and some of that time is now going to Imai, who may or may not be around beyond 2026.