The San Francisco Giants have tried for years to break into the top tier of MLB’s international pitching market. According to ESPN’s annual survey of front-office personnel, they may finally be positioned to win one of the winter’s biggest races.
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 — hardly surprising given they’ve cornered the Japanese free-agent market with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki in consecutive offseasons. But the survey shows a notable shift: for the first time in years, executives believe the path of least resistance may not run through Los Angeles.
And Imai has made it clear he is not looking to join a super team.
The Yankees also earned three votes, reflecting their growing presence in Japan and their urgent need for starting pitching. The Cubs (two votes), Blue Jays (one) and Padres (one) rounded out the poll, all clubs with established international scouting operations.
But this winter, the Giants aren’t the sleeper. They’re the team insiders think is actually out front. After years of finishing just short for marquee international talent, San Francisco finally appears to be in the lead for a pitcher who fits both their timeline and their identity.
If they close the deal, it would be one of the most meaningful rotation moves of the offseason — and a statement that their reset is shifting into something far more ambitious.