Houston Astros owner Jim Crane was less than 20 seconds into introducing free agent pitcher Tatsuya Imai on Monday when he turned to the front row to thank a sponsor.
“One of the things that made this possible was having our great partners at the forefront,” Crane said. He then asked Takayuki Inoue, Daikin’s marketing director, to stand up. “Thank you, sir.”
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Daikin, a Japanese HVAC company, is entering the second year of a 15-year naming rights deal with Astros Stadium that will pay the team more than $140 million, according to a person familiar with the terms. For most MLB teams, naming rights are the most valuable corporate asset they can sell. In the Astros’ case, the team may have received something more valuable than money: help in achieving the first big hit as a 2026 free agent.
Imai has agreed to a three-year contract worth a reported $54 millionmaking him the team member the best paid starting pitcher. He is also the first player the Astros drafted directly from Asia.
Of course, the Imai signature also works well for Daikin. While it’s unclear exactly what Inoue’s role was in the free agent process (a representative for the company did not immediately respond to an inquiry), there are clear advantages for a Japanese company in having a Japanese star playing in the room that bears his name. Daikin was mentioned several times, by several people, during Monday’s press conference, and Inoue would have then took part in the official photos with Imai – all things that would probably delight a well-paid partner.
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The partnership with Daikin Park, announced in November 2024, appears to have helped change the team’s entire approach to Asia. Crane spoke Monday about his team’s presence in Tokyo, Seoul and Taiwan, all of which are recent developments. According to AthleticsCrane and some other Astros executives recently toured Daikin’s headquarters and manufacturing plants, as well as some local ballparks.
“We’re going to move forward pretty quickly in Asia,” Crane said Monday.
Crane’s non-Astros activities also played a crucial role in this. Its freight and supply chain business, Crane Worldwide Logistics, already had a relationship with Daikin. He said Monday that the team’s reconnaissance apparatus across Asia was able to “set up quickly” by working from Crane’s offices.
Everyone in MLB is chasing the Los Angeles Dodgers right now, in more ways than one. The two-time World Series champions make more money than anyone in the sport, are among the biggest spenders and have built a balanced roster of homegrown talent and free agent signings. Some of the greatest examples of the latter phenomenon have come from Japan. Shohei Ohtani of course gets the most attention, but the team’s postseason run has also been fueled by pitchers Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the World Series MVP.
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On a recent episode of the Sports broadcasting podcast, Dodgers president Stan Kasten told stories about the team’s pursuit of Sasaki and Ohtani. He also discussed the impact of the team’s Asian presence on business. The Dodgers benefit from more than a dozen Japanese sponsorships, including some new additions in the past two years – All Nippon Airways, Daiso, Kosé, Kowa, Toyo Tires and Yakult – all of which are part of a new corporate initiative that SponsorUnited believes is adding. $70 million in additional revenue from sponsors last year.
Crane, who said the Dodgers “led the way” in Asia, added Monday that he thought the Pacific Rim was “untapped” until Ohtani.
“The players coming out of it are really on par, if not better, than some of the guys we have here,” he said. “We will focus on this topic in the future.”
With the help of Kurt Badenhausen.
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