The Giants’ search for rotation help this offseason may lead them overseas.
There is little certainty in the Giants rotation beyond Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. In addressing their biggest offseason need, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi named the Giants as a “potential suitor” for hard-throwing Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai.
According to several Giants insiders — including Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic and Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area — Buster Posey and GM Zack Minasian made an under-the-radar trip to Asia during the season to get a deeper understanding of the market.
That trip suggests the Giants expect to be active in the Asian free-agent market this winter — particularly in Japan, where the organization has struggled to land top talent in recent years.
Near the top of that list is Imai, a pitcher many scouts believe has the stuff to become the next NPB ace to thrive in MLB.
He may not be officially posted yet, but everything about Imai’s profile points to a pitcher who will be worth the pursuit. If the Giants want a star from Japan, this is the window.
The Giants’ lack of success in signing Japanese players hasn’t been due to a lack of effort.
Twice the franchise was spurned by Shohei Ohtani in favor of the Angels in 2018 and the Dodgers in 2023. Two years ago, San Francisco again finished only as a finalist for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who became a World Series MVP.
To stay competitive in the National League West — especially with the Dodgers routinely securing the very type of Japanese talent the Giants have coveted — the club needs to connect on a star soon. Imai could be that player.
The 27-year-old put together another brilliant NPB season in 2025, finishing with a 1.92 ERA and a second consecutive All-Star selection.
His arsenal is already Major League–ready, featuring a six-pitch mix he has refined throughout his career — highlighted by cutting his walk rate nearly in half, from 14% in 2022 to just 7% in 2025.
Imai’s fastball will ride around 95 miles per hour, which he can dial up near triple digits when he needs to. The fastball maintained its velocity despite the right-hander eclipsing 160 innings in back-to-back seasons.
His secondary stuff is even more dangerous. He throws a mid-80s “wrong-way” slider that moves like a screwball.
Dove deep into the advanced data on some NPB stars that could impact MLB in 2026!
⚾️ Munetaka Murakami – Huge pop + scary contact
⚾️ Tatsuya Imai – “wrong way” slider & flat-approach 4S
⚾️ Hiroto Saiki – 55° arm angle … no whiffs?!
Tease below, full vid in thread! pic.twitter.com/T2YhDxcPom
— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) October 20, 2025
Like many Japanese pitchers, he features a well-trained splitter — a pitch that has quickly become one of the most valuable weapons in the Majors.
Imai also holds a sinker, a changeup, and a curveball – all options that have been effective at getting hitters off the barrel.
That arsenal was on full display on June 17, when Imai delivered the gem of his season — a Lions club-record 17 strikeouts, surpassing the mark previously held by former Red Sox star Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Tatsuya Imai legendary MASTERCLASS 🦁
9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 17 K, 123 P, 27 Whiffs
He finished the most dominant outing of his career with a 98 mph fastball to complete the shutout 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nefOzanrLl
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) June 17, 2025
Like Kodai Senga — who posted a 2.98 ERA and made the All-Star team after signing a five-year, $75 million deal with the Mets — Imai is viewed as an NPB ace with immediate MLB impact potential.
That may be underestimating the ultimate number Imai signs for. According to ESPN baseball insider Jeff Passan, one front office official mentioned a potential contract that could exceed $200 million.
The Giants would certainly hope for the under there, especially after chairman Greg Johnson downplayed the idea of committing major money to a free-agent pitcher.
Speaking on Tim Kawakami’s podcast, Johnson said the organization would be “very cautious about those kind of things,” a comment that suggests the front office may not be looking to enter the top tier of the market.
According to Spotrac, the Giants estimated Opening Day payroll for 2026 is $186 million. The Giants would be subjected to the competitive balance tax if they exceed $244 million of payroll in 2026.
In that same conversation, even as Johnson stressed caution with big-money deals, he acknowledged that starting pitching is the Giants’ top priority this offseason. If they choose to get aggressive anywhere, it will be for a starter.
It has been a decade since the Giants signed a starting pitcher for over $100 million – Johnny Cueto in 2015. The club has only done so three times total, with the other contracts going to Matt Cain and Barry Zito.
If the Giants choose to pursue Imai, it will almost certainly require a contract that pushes Johnson and the front office beyond their comfort zone — and the Yoshinobu Yamamoto precedent looms large.
Not only did Yamamoto’s $325 million deal reset the market for top Japanese arms, but his performance and durability down the stretch this season have already begun to justify the investment — so much so that the Dodgers are well on their way to making the money back.
The same was true with Shohei Ohtani, whose value off the field was so immediate that multiple reports indicated Los Angeles recouped its investment in his first year alone.
That’s where the distinction lies between Imai and someone like Framber Valdez or Dylan Cease. Signing Imai isn’t just an investment in a pitcher — it’s an investment in a country, in a market the Giants have never fully broken into.
Their rivals aren’t just signing talent; they’re capturing audiences, revenue streams, and cultural reach the Giants have repeatedly missed out on.
And that is something the Giants truly can’t afford.