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.

To date, the Houston Astros' offseason has been defined by a "Moneyball"-like approach to finding overlooked talent - particularly on the pitching front - who c

Tatsuya Imai will pitch for the Houston Astros next year on a short-term, opt-out full contract. He would have been a superb match for the New York Mets if they

If each team employs five pitchers and there are 30 teams, we are looking at the top 150 starting pitchers. The others are fill ins or swing guys that will make spot starts when the need arises. So, if we divide 150 by five then we are looking at the top 30 starters as number one type starters.

As each day passes, it's becoming clear that Framber Valdez is going to find a new home in free agency and leave the Houston Astros. That's not a surprise as th

A longtime Houston Astros farmhand will try to become a major league regular with the division-rival Athletics.

Athletics sign 31-year-old pitcher who made MLB debut with Padres originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Athletics are taking a flier on a pitcher who has a 7.06 ERA in 21.2 career innings at the Major League level.