Imai will remain with the Astros in 2027 rather than exercising the opt-out clause in his contract, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Imai has two years and $36 million remaining on his contract, which is well shy of what he'd get on the open market after he posted a disappointing 4.93 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 97:51 K:BB over 76.2 innings in his first year with the Astros. He has another opt-out clause in his contract that he could exercise after the 2027 campaign. Imai spent the final two months of the regular season in the bullpen, and it's unclear what plans the Astros have in store for Imai's role next season.