TL;DR
- Executives believe San Francisco Giants are most likely to sign Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai.
- The Giants have actively pursued elite international pitching prospects for years.
- Pairing Imai with Logan Webb makes sense for San Francisco's pitching needs.
- Imai is not looking to join a super team, potentially favoring the Giants.
For years, the San Francisco Giants have sought to establish themselves among MLB's elite international pitching prospects. As reported by ESPN’s annual survey of front-office personnel,, they might now be in a favorable position to secure a major acquisition this offseason.
A panel of executives voted the Giants as the most likely landing spot for 27-year-old Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai, giving San Francisco five votes — more than the Yankees and Dodgers combined. It’s a rare moment where industry insiders see a club other than Los Angeles leading a Japanese free-agent sweepstakes, and it signals how seriously the Giants have pushed into this space.
One executive offered the cleanest explanation: pairing Imai with Logan Webb makes a ton of sense. San Francisco badly needs swing-and-miss pitching behind its homegrown ace, and Imai’s age makes him a long-term fit rather than a bridge piece. With the club resetting its roster and payroll over the past two seasons, the timing lines up almost perfectly.
The Dodgers still drew three votes — which isn't particularly shocking considering their dominance in the Japanese free-agent sphere, securing talents like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki over successive offseasons. However, the survey highlights a significant change: for the first time in a considerable period, executives now feel the easiest route might not lead to Los Angeles.
And Imai has made it clear he is not looking to join a super team.
The Yankees garnered three votes, indicating their increasing influence in Japan and their critical requirement for starting pitchers. The Cubs (two votes), Blue Jays (one), and Padres (one) completed the survey, all teams possessing well-developed international scouting departments.
However, this winter, the Giants aren't the surprise team. They're the club that experts believe is actually leading the race. Following years of falling short in securing top international talent, San Francisco seems poised to secure a pitcher aligning with their current plans and team ethos.
Should they finalize the agreement, it would represent one of the offseason's most significant roster adjustments, signaling that their rebuilding phase is progressing toward a more ambitious objective.
