Cubs fans irate over losing out on Tatsuya Imai to Astros

As the posting period for Japanese starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai drew closer and closer to a premature end, many speculated on whether he would find a major league team to call home. New Year’s Day brought news of an Imai-Houston Astros partnership. The 27-year-old inked a three-year deal with the Astros. The affordability of the contract, which maxes out at $63 million, left many scratching their heads. One confused Chicago Cubs fan, Carson Wolf, queried on X, formerly Twitter, as to why the Cubs didn’t match Imai’s terms.

“Maxes out at $63 million?” questioned Wolf on the social media platform. “The Cubs either went full Cubs and didn’t want to spend or seriously disliked something about Imai.”

While other factors could have led Imai to Space City, it’s a fair question posed by Wolf. Some reports indicated that Imai wanted to go to a team without a significant Japanese player presence. The Cubs have outfielder Seiya Suzuki and starter Shota Imanaga, who accepted the team’s qualifying offer. Is that why Chicago was ultimately unable to add Imai to their rotation?

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With Imanaga back for at least another year, the Cubs’ rotation looks full, at least at the moment. Veterans Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, and Colin Rea are slated for slots. So is last year’s rookie sensation, Cade Horton. Furthermore, lefty Justin Steele will likely return at some point in 2026. However, based on the max value Imai received from the Astros, Cubs fan The Setup Man questioned why Hoyer and the front office wouldn’t match the deal via X.

“How is this all he got?” questioned the fan account. “And how do the Cubs NOT match this? Obviously we have no idea if Imai was even interested in the Cubs, but man… this is so affordable.”

After many reports and predictions opined that Imai would receive a longer deal, it looks as if the upcoming deadline led to a key decision for the 27-year-old: long-term with a lower AAV, or a shorter team contract with a higher AAV. Maybe in three years, when Imai could hit the market once again, the Cubs will be able to lure the right-hander to Chicago’s North Side.

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