The San Francisco Giants are leading the race for Tatsuya Imai, according to ESPN’s annual survey of front-office personnel. The 27-year-old Japanese ace drew five votes from executives as the Giants’ most likely target — more than the Yankees and Dodgers combined.
It’s the first time in years that industry insiders see a team other than Los Angeles leading a Japanese free-agent sweepstakes.
The logic seems pretty straightforward. One executive put it cleanly: pairing Imai with Logan Webb makes a ton of sense. San Francisco desperately needs swing-and-miss stuff behind their homegrown ace, and Imai’s age makes him a long-term piece rather than a stopgap. With the club resetting its roster and payroll over the past two seasons, the timing lines up almost perfectly.
What makes this different is that Imai has made it clear he’s not looking to join a super team. That works against the Dodgers, who still drew three votes but aren’t the prohibitive favorites they’ve been with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki.
The Yankees also earned three votes, reflecting their growing presence in Japan and urgent rotation needs. The Cubs picked up two votes, while the Blue Jays and Padres each got one — all clubs with established international scouting operations.
But here’s the thing: this winter, the Giants aren’t flying under the radar. They’re the team insiders actually think is out front.
After years of finishing second for marquee international talent, San Francisco finally appears to be leading for a pitcher who fits both their timeline and identity. If they close the deal, it’d be one of the most meaningful rotation moves of the offseason — and a statement that their reset is shifting into something far more ambitious.
From where I’m sitting, that’s a pretty significant development for a franchise that’s been trying to crack this market for years.
