Tatsuya Imai won't opt out and will return to Houston in 2027 at $18 million after a rocky rookie year (4.93 ERA, 51 walks in 76 2/3 innings). Meanwhile, Ryan Weiss's option reportedly gets declined, and Isaac Paredes' option decision looms by Monday.
Tatsuya Imai won't opt out and will return to Houston for 2027, with $36 million still owed over two years. After a 4.93 ERA and 51 walks in 76⅔ innings, testing free agency looked unappealing. 🔒 Another opt-out chance comes after 2027.
Astros offseason chatter: Tatsuya Imai reportedly won't opt out, the club declined Ryan Weiss's option, and Brewers' Matt Kleine is reportedly the top GM target. Payroll (~$240M vs. Milwaukee's $146M) is the real question. 🤔
Tatsuya Imai will reportedly exercise his $18 million player option and stay in Houston for 2027. He went 6-4 with a 4.93 ERA and 97 strikeouts to 51 walks in 76 2/3 innings. His role stays unsettled, and he keeps another opt-out after next season. 🎯
Tatsuya Imai exercised his 2027 player option and returns to Houston, but after a rocky rookie year that ended in the bullpen, no rotation spot is guaranteed. He walked over 15% of hitters, and his $36M over two years squeezes the payroll. 💸
MLB Trade Rumors (Astros): Astros Decline Club Option On Ryan Weiss
Tatsuya Imai won't opt out of his three-year, $54M deal, per Jon Heyman. He stays in Houston for $36M over two more years, with another opt-out after 2027. His first MLB season: 6-4, 4.93 ERA, 97 strikeouts. 📝
MLB Trade Rumors (Astros): Tatsuya Imai Will Not Opt Out Of Astros Deal
A Yankees mailbag suggests New York could target Astros infielders Isaac Paredes and Jeremy Peña this winter, pitching Houston's infield surplus, with Carlos Correa due back from injury, as a fix for the Yankees' offense. It's only a suggestion, not a reported talk. 🔍
Astros enter the 2026-27 offseason with six free agents and one tricky contract decision. Dalton Varsho likely won't return. Bryan Abreu's salary demands may push him out. Steven Okert, a bullpen workhorse, is the one to re-sign. 🔑
Jeremy Peña's future may be the Astros' biggest offseason call. Compared with ten shortstops, he ranks fifth in bWAR per 150 games (4.90) and eighth in fWAR per 150 (3.95), so he's squarely mid-pack, minus the big-money contracts. 🤔
Astros released outfielder Nelson Velázquez, 27, so he can pursue a deal with a club in Asia. The brief stint ends with 2 homers in 18 games, one a pinch-hit two-run shot in the Wild Card opener. A minor-league spot opens up. 🔓
Jason Bell, a decade-long Astros staffer and last year's Major League field coordinator and outfield coach, is leaving to join the Red Sox's big-league staff. He's another departure after Houston parted with Joe Espada and six coaches following the Wild Card sweep. 🚪
Jose Altuve's Hall of Fame index sits at 219.6, just shy of the 220-230 median for Cooperstown second basemen. The series argues he could likely retire today and have the credentials, though the sign-stealing scandal and his postseason heroics complicate the case. 🔬
Transaction Alert: The Houston Astros have released LF Nelson Velázquez. 📋
Astros released outfielder Nelson Velazquez, who plans to pursue opportunities in Asia. Claimed off waivers from St. Louis in August, he went 3-for-27 with 13 strikeouts for Houston, two of the hits homers. Power was there; contact, not so much.
Astros reportedly interviewed ex-Nationals GM Mike Rizzo, who is said to be eager for the job. That complicates the idea that Brewers assistant Matt Kleine is the GM favorite to replace Dana Brown. The search just got a veteran wrinkle. 🔍
Yordan Alvarez is the AL MVP favorite (announced Nov. 12) after leading MLB in average (.316), OBP, slugging and OPS, with 42 homers and 106 RBIs. He's also a Silver Slugger and DH award contender, and Jeremy Peña is a Silver Slugger candidate. 🏆
Astros farm arms had a loud 2026. Bryce Mayer led the system with 140 strikeouts (3.53 ERA), Jagger Beck broke out at 19 with a 2.80 ERA, and Alex Santos II posted 100 K in 65 innings out of the bullpen. ⚾
Astros reportedly hired Conner Watson, formerly Cleveland's assistant director of hitting, as director of hitting. Insider Robert Murray finds it odd they're hiring staff with no GM in place, as Matt Kleine and Mike Rizzo are linked to the opening. 🤔
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