Astros New Starter Unsurprisingly Ranked Atop Houston’s Offseason Moves

The Houston Astros struggled with their starting rotation last year, but much of that was attributed to the persistent injuries they couldn't seem to escape. To replenish their rotation, the Astros brought on two key starters—Tatsuya Imai and Mike Burrows.

Imai comes with a significant amount of baseball experience, but this will be his first season pitching in the Major Leagues. Before, he played in Japan, primarily for the Saitama Seibu Lions. As for Burrows, he was acquired in a massive three-team trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, ultimately finding his new home down in the Lone Star State.

Outside of the pitching staff, Houston also welcomed back Joey Loperfido from the Toronto Blue Jays. In exchange for Loperfido, the Astros sent Jesús Sánchez to the Blue Jays.

This fresh trio is considered to be the most notable moves made by Houston during their offseason, and Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report carefully ranked them based on their expected impact for their 2026 campaigns.

Imai Lands Top Spot

Houston Astros Tatsuya Imai holding his knees on the field — Houston Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Despite 27-year-old Imai not having pitched in the Majors, he seems to be attracting the most attention out of the ballclub's offseason acquisitions. During his latest campaign with Seibu, he recorded a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts across 163.2 innings pitched through 24 games. He may not have MLB experience, but he has a striking ability on the mound.

Because of this, Reuter ranked him as the Astros' No. 1 offseason move, followed by right-hander Burrows at No. 2 and outfielder Loperfido at No. 2. Considering how much attention Houston's rotation needed after their disastrous season last year, it's no surprise that they attacked this department.

But Loperfido should not be overlooked just because he isn't on the mound. Not only is he already familiar with the ballclub after playing with them for a brief stint in 2024, but he has the potential to have a big season if he's granted the right opportunities.

He wrapped up his last campaign, slashing .333/.379/.500 with a .879 OPS and four home runs through 41 games. Offensive power is always welcomed by teams, so passing up Loperfido simply wasn't an option for Houston.

But as intriguing as Loperfido and Burrows are, Imai is the one to take center stage. Heads turned toward him the moment he was signed, and the bar is already set quite high. Will he prove himself to be worthy of a No. 1 ranking this year?