Tatsuya Imai Is a Dream Signing for the San Francisco Giants
As someone who reportedly wants to take down the World Series winning Dodgers, Tatsuya Imai looks like an ideal fit for the Giants, but is he?
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It’s been no secret that the San Francisco Giants have been trying to land a Japanese star for years. They were in on now-rivals Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as well as names a tier below like Kodai Senga and Seiya Suzuki.
Fortunately, they have added a good amount of excitement with last year’s signing of Willy Adames and the midseason trade for perennial slugger Rafael Devers. However, the pipeline from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to Major League Baseball appears to have directly led to the Giants historic rivals — the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Giants were able to add an Asian superstar a few years ago when they inked center fielder Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year pact. Lee, however, made a name for himself in the less competitive Korean Baseball Organization (KBO).
This winter offers what could potentially be San Francisco’s best chance at bringing in a Japanese superstar. With a glaring need in the rotation, Tatsuya Imai seemed destined to be a Giant, especially after a few interesting quotes.
However, some recent reports indicate that the Giants might not be willing to give Imai the deal he’s looking for. Let’s take a look into the potential fit between the San Francisco Giants and the best pitcher in NPB.
The Giant’s Current Situation
The Giants have long been known as a team that will beat their opponents with good pitching and solid defense, instead of an overpowering offense. However, with a quick glance at the projected roster to open 2026, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
As soon as the 2025 campaign concluded, there was one belief among the Giants’ front office that was consistently shared publicly. This upcoming winter’s focus was going to be placed heavily on the pitching side of things.
At the top is Logan Webb, one of the premier starters in baseball who is coming off of a season in which he led the National League in innings and strikeouts. Reigning All-Star — and former Cy Young winner — Robbie Ray slots in right behind him, abruptly followed by breakout righty Landen Roupp.
The last two rotation slots, currently filled by Kai-Wei Teng and Trevor McDonald, are projected to combine for just 1.3 fWAR in 2026.
While there is some decent depth there with prospect names such as Hayden Birdsong, Carson Whisenhunt, and Blade Tidwell, surely Buster Posey and the Giants would prefer a bit more certainty throughout the group.
Enter Tatsuya Imai
When you look at the clear need and how competitive the National League West is, adding a top of the rotation caliber arm seems like a no-brainer.
Of course, there are several proven MLB arms available this winter. However, the 2026 pitching class is significantly weaker than 2027’s, which is headlined by legit aces like Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Chris Sale, and Kevin Gausman.
This makes NPB superstar Tatsuya Imai one of the most intriguing names still available on this year’s market. The right-hander is only 27 years old and coming off of the best season of his career in Japan.
| IP | ERA | FIP | K% | BB% | |
| Tatsuya Imai | 163.2 | 1.92 | 2.01 | 27.8% | 7.0% |
Imai appears to be entering his prime while hitting the market at a fairly unheard of age. For a Giants organization that has long been against lengthy starting pitching deals, this makes Imai a relatively safe target.
Just as important, he has an apparent drive to beat the Dodgers and take down global superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
In a recent interview with former big-leaguer Daisuke Matsuzaka on the “Hodo Station” show, Imai had some intriguing comments when asked about joining the Dodgers.
“Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki, 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.“
– Tatsuya Imai
This type of competitiveness would fit in nicely with the personalities of Giants’ POBO Buster Posey and freshly hired head coach Tony Vitello. It’s the type of fiery aggression that San Francisco has lacked for the better part of a decade now.
Imai later doubled down, claiming he’s not necessarily interested in joining a team with Japanese players currently in-house.
“If there were another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them about anything, right? But that’s actually not what I’m looking for. In a way, I want to experience that sense of survival. When I come face-to-face with cultural differences, I want to see how I can overcome them on my own — that’s part of what I’m excited about.“
– Tatsuya Imai
Again, an idea that perfectly aligns with San Francisco, who does not currently have any Japanese players on the roster. The stars are aligning for San Francisco to finally land the NPB star they’ve been looking for, but is it too late?
Recent Giants’ Spending Reports
When San Francisco was going after Ohtani and Yamamoto just two offseasons ago, they were in a much more open financial situation. While Greg Johnson is the fifth wealthiest owner in baseball, that has significantly changed within the last year and some change.
| Start | End | Years | Value | |
| Rafael Devers | 2023 | 2033 | 10 | $313.5 million |
| Willy Adames | 2025 | 2031 | 7 | $182 million |
| Matt Chapman | 2025 | 2030 | 6 | $151 million |
| Jung Hoo Lee | 2024 | 2029 | 6 | $113 million |
Now, San Francisco has a handful of guys making significant money for the next couple of years. This has reportedly made them less willing to hand out the big deal they’ve famously been trying to for the past few years.
“The Giants are choosing to sit this one out. According to club sources, because of a number of financial considerations, the Giants do not anticipate making the nine-figure investment required to sign Imai — or any of the other top pitchers on the free-agent market. Instead, the club is focusing on more modestly priced alternatives… After splurging on $182-million shortstop Willy Adames last offseason and taking on more than $250 million while trading for corner infielder Rafael Devers in June, their current preference is to limit their spending to short-term deals.”
– Andrew Baggarly, Giants’ Senior Writer for The Athletic
All of a sudden, the organization’s dream fit of a free agent isn’t even on the front office’s radar. While it may be a confusing decision to fans, it’s one that may not be too surprising after the Giants’ lack of pursuit for Corbin Burnes last winter.
Final Thoughts
Tatsuya Imai has arguably the highest ceiling of any starting pitcher in this year’s class. After a dominant season in NPB and some intriguing comments on taking down the Dodgers, the righty looks like an ideal fit for San Francisco.
However, with a clear sense of hesitancy from ownership to pay for a long-term starting pitcher, it now looks like an impossible destination in Imai’s sweepstakes.
Either way, there’s still time for everything to change. We’re days away from the fireworks of the winter meetings where front offices can swoop in last second for their latest target, without any report of an initial interest.
Will San Francisco finally find their way into the Japanese market and pay the potential ace, or are the long-term commitments already on the books too blinding to overcome?
Written by
Michael Monreal got his start in baseball media when he started his own website covering the San Francisco Giants after playing two years of college baseball.…