MLB Insider Sees Giants as ‘Perfect Fit’ for Japanese Superstar Free-Agent

The San Francisco Giants have the perfect make-up to accommodate a recently posted Japanese pitching star.

San Francisco Giants hat and glove on the bench against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have shown a penchant for being aggressive with president of baseball operations Buster Posey.

The expectation is that he’ll be aggressive in filling out the starting rotation beyond Logan Webb and Robbie Ray this offseason. For that reason, a pursuit of Japanese star Tatsuya Imai could be in the cards.

The 27-year-old Imai was posted to the MLB system earlier this week, per The Athletic (subscription required). Now, MLB teams can negotiate with him until the posting period ends on Jan. 2. By then Imai must sign a deal with an MLB team or he will return to the NPB for the 2026 season.

Whichever MLB team signs him must not only pay his contract but also pay the posting fee to his current team, the Saitama Seibu Lions. Even with a projected nine-figure contract and the posting fee, one MLB insider sees the Giants as the “perfect fit” for Imai.

Tatsuya Imai and the San Francisco Giants

.@jonmorosi pinpoints the San Francisco Giants as an early potential suitor for Japanese RHP Tatsuya Imai. pic.twitter.com/0PxBSaJLtJ

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 20, 2025

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi recently appeared on one of the network’s talk shows and projected the Giants as the team that would be the best fit for Imai. San Francisco has made plays for Japanese players in the past few years, including Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, both of whom ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Morosi sees Imai’s pitch mix and Oracle Park as a perfect match for a long-term deal to complement what’s there.

“They need a co-star alongside Logan Webb in that rotation, and I believe that Imai would be a great complement,” Morosi said.

Per The Athletic, Imai has a four-pitch mix, led by a fastball that can hit the upper 90s. He also features a slider, a split-finger fastball and a change-up. The site also projected that Imai could get an eight-year deal worth $190 million. His agent is Scott Boras, who is known for driving up the market for his players.

Imai is 58-45 with a 3.45 ERA in seven seasons with the Lions, including 907 strikeouts. He is a three-time NPB All-Star, most recently in 2025, and pitched a combined no-hitter last season.

If San Francisco pursued and signed Imai, it would represent the latest aggressive move by Posey. When he took over the team last year, his first big move was signing free-agent shortstop Willy Adames to the largest deal in team history. He followed that with a trade in June to acquire Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox. Last month, he hired Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello to be the team’s manager in 2026.