Should the Astros Give Tatsuya Imai Another Shot as a Starter

Tatsuya Imai was supposed to be a big addition, but his first season never took off. The Houston Astros were left with a small handful of pitchers to carry the rotation.

Imai signed a three-year, $54 million deal and is set to earn $18 million in 2027. He had an opt-out after 2026, but is reportedly set to return despite a rough first season.

So what went wrong for Imai this season?

Taking a look at his season stats, he finished with a 6-4 record, 4.93 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 97 strikeouts, 76⅔ innings pitched, 23 appearances, and 15 starts.

After struggling as a starter, Imai was moved to the bullpen, where his numbers improved.

He may have had a rough season, but he did cross a coveted milestone in his first season.

On May 25, Imai, Steven Okert, and Alimber Santa combined for a no-hitter in a 9–0 win over the Texas Rangers. Imai threw the first six innings of that no-hitter, with four walks and two strikeouts. In the bullpen, he had a 2.00 ERA in eight appearances with 25 strikeouts in 18 innings.

After completing a whole season, it would be interesting to see him back in a starter role to see if he can settle in.

The Astros used a club-record 19 starting pitchers, so Houston needs dependable starters.

Should Imai compete for a rotation spot in spring training, or stay in the bullpen?

While his starting stats weren't as strong as his bullpen numbers, the argument for giving Imai another chance as a starter rests on those six scoreless innings in the combined no-hitter.

That performance is enough to give Imai another shot as a starter and work with him in spring training to see if he can bounce back. Not every arm is capable of six scoreless innings, and he is. Those performances might be few and far between, but the potential is there.

Another season working as a starter is the second chance Imai needs. That said, if he can’t get there in 2027, then he needs to be in the bullpen or, frankly, the Astros may need to rethink his role.

After a season of adjusting to American culture, which he said he struggled with early on, he should be able to pitch at the level expected of him more often than not.

Not to mention, the Astros are lacking in starters, but they definitely don't need another arm bringing them down at the beginning of the season, so that second chance should be rather short-lived.