Astros acquire pitching prospect and former UConn star in trade idea with Dodgers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Dodgers would be much better off if they can find a way to land another star reliever this offseason.

Imai has fooled countless NBP hitters with his unusual, strange pitch. Toronto Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage achieved similar success with the pitch at the MLB level last season, using the reverse slider to help Toronto reach its first World Series since 1993.

The Houston Astros ended Japanese starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai's free agency ahead of his signing deadline of Friday by signing a three-year, $54 million deal on Thursday.

Major League Baseball pitcher Joe Kelly, who won World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, is calling it a career after 13 seasons. Kelly, 37, announced his retirement

ESPN's Jesse Rogers notes that the deal includes opt-out clauses and is the second-largest for a Japanese pitcher in terms of average annual value, trailing only 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 12-year, $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023.