The Houston Astros have made a decision that could significantly impact the organization's on-field future. 

No, the Astros did not hire a new front office leader or manager; instead, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taiwan and the country's Ministry of Economic Affairs and sports authority. The agreement focuses on a first-of-its-kind collaboration to boost baseball industry development, player scouting and talent cultivation between the United States and Taiwan. 

Astros owner Jim Crane and Taiwanese pitcher Kai-wei Teng traveled to Taiwan for a signing ceremony to formalize the agreement.  

"We want to engage more because we have Kai-wei on our team and get to learn more about Taiwan and to put more resources here to scout and develop players like him to play in MLB," Crane told reporters after the ceremony. 

Teng is one of more than 20 Taiwanese players who have played in Major League Baseball so far, and Crane suggested that number will likely increase in the future. 

"Oh, there's a lot of potential. I'm going to go to the game tonight," Crane said. "I've not been (to) a game here before, so I'm excited about that. And I'm sure we'll see some people that are qualified at some point to play in MLB." 

After the ceremony, Crane and Teng watched Game 3 of the 2026 CPBL Taiwan Series between the Wei Chuan Dragons and the CTBC Brothers at the Taipei Dome. The Dragons won 6-0 to take a 3-0 series lead.  

The newly formalized relationship is not the first investment by the Astros in Taiwan and Asia. In summer 2025, the Astros hired scouts in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea to increase their presence across Asia. In January, the Astros inked a three-year deal with Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai, and Crane restated his hopes of finding great players in Asia.

“You hope you can pick up some more talent from there,” Crane said at Imai's introductory press conference. “There’s definitely Major League Baseball talent, and they’re developing the players.”

How Taiwan fits into the Astros’ wider strategy

The Astros' agreement with Taiwan builds on their established efforts in the region, focusing on player training in the United States, potential competitions between the two countries, and possible talent exchanges. In addition, the parties will likely formalize commercial and technical collaborations in the future. 

What's unclear about the MOU is how actively the Astros will be involved in holding tryouts, running camps and scouting leagues in Taiwan. The Taiwanese government's statement calls the MOU a starting point and says the ministries will gradually turn cooperation intentions into concrete plans.

The MOU doesn't outline any exclusivity, but the relationship could mirror the Los Angeles Dodgers' decades-long investment in Japan, which has produced stars like Hideo Nomo and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The Dodgers' relationship with Japan also targeted the country's baseball fans and businesses. The Dodgers have gone on goodwill tours to Japan since the 1950s, played exhibition games and hosted spring training clinics.

The Astros have previously played international regular-season and exhibition games in Mexico, with games in Mexico City against the Colorado Rockies in 2016 and 2024, and Monterrey against the Los Angeles Angels in 2019.