San Francisco Giants aren't chasing expensive arms

The San Francisco Giants have been linked to several of the top free agent names on the market thus far, but not everyone is convinced that they will be big spenders this winter.

On the heels of reports that San Francisco is eyeing free agent ace Framber Valdez and Japanese star pitcher Tatsuya Imai, ESPN’s Buster Olney threw some water on those reports by relaying some of his own intel.

According to Olney, the Giants’ inquiries on the market have been for “modestly priced arms” rather than the big-ticket free agents, such as Valdez — who may command a deal of $150-200 million — and Imai, who may get a similar contract in the coming weeks.

The Giants have been repeatedly linked to Tatsuyi Imai, the premier free agent pitcher from Japan. But a lot of their market pitching inquiries have been for more modestly priced arms — a strong indication they aren’t chasing the highest priced pitchers, like Imai.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 29, 2025

The San Francisco Giants may not sign a high-priced starting pitcher this offseason, but it’s no secret that their starting rotation needs a boost.

Outside of ace Logan Webb and All-Star left-hander Robbie Ray, the Giants don’t have much stability in their 2026 rotation and beyond.

Former top prospect Kyle Harrison is gone, as is hard-throwing right-hander Jordan Hicks, as both players were sent to Boston in the Rafael Devers blockbuster trade that brought the slugger to San Francisco last season.

Giants prospect Carson Whisenhunt, the PCL Pitcher of the Year in 2025, could factor into team president Buster Posey’s plans for next season, but San Francisco will need more reinforcements.

If the San Francisco Giants go for cheaper options, players like Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, Zach Eflin, or Jordan Montgomery could be on Posey’s radar heading into next week’s MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida.

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Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai is set to make the leap from Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball, but who will sign the star right-hander?

Imai, 27, was posted by the Seibu Lions earlier this month, giving him until Christmas Day to negotiate and sign with an MLB franchise in free agency.

While many around baseball assumed that Imai would follow in the footsteps of Japanese talents Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki in joining Shohei Ohtani’s Los Angeles Dodgers, the free agent made it clear this week that he doesn’t want to join his fellow countrymen–he’d rather beat them.

“Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki,” Tatsuya Imai said during an interview with the Japanese news program Hodo Station. “But winning against a team like that and becoming a World Champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I’d rather take them down.”

If Imai wants to take down the Dodgers, joining the San Francisco Giants may become an intriguing possibility during the free-agent process, one outcome that executives around the league also envision taking shape in the coming weeks.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers released a poll this week that included the opinions and free-agent predictions of 16 Major League Baseball front-office executives, and the consensus was that Tatsuya Imai will be signing with the Giants this winter.

San Francisco Giants aren’t chasing expensive arms

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