The Houston Astros looked like they were sleepwalking through the offseason until shortly before the Christmas holiday. Houston was part of a three-team swap last month that brought Mike Burrows into the fold. While he represented an upgrade to the rotation, Houston still needed another frontline starter to pair with Hunter Brown. They got exactly that after signing Tatsuya Imai to a three-year deal.
There was little to no mention of Houston being among the finalists for Imai's services, and it may well have been the way GM Dana Brown and the Astros structured the contract that got the deal over the finish line.