Multiple reports indicate the San Francisco Giants are leading the race to sign free-agent starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai, ahead of teams like the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. An ESPN survey of executives gave the Giants the most votes to land the 27-year-old from Japan's Saitama Seibu Lions. The Chicago Cubs also emerge as a strong contender in predictions for the 2026 offseason.
Tatsuya Imai, a 27-year-old right-handed starting pitcher who last played for the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan, is drawing significant interest as he enters MLB free agency for the 2026 season. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince predicts the Chicago Cubs will sign Imai as their biggest offseason addition, emphasizing his potential as a top-of-the-rotation arm without requiring a draft pick compensation. Castrovince notes Imai's pitch mix, led by a spitter and changeup combination, could elevate him under the Cubs' pitching infrastructure, especially with Scott Boras as his agent handling negotiations.
The Cubs' need for pitching stems from manager Craig Counsell's reliance on bullpen games during their playoff run, including refusing to pitch returning starter Shota Imanaga in Game 5 of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers. Chicago recently signed reliever Phil Maton to a multi-year deal and has been linked to pitchers like Dylan Cease and Michael King. A potential Cubs rotation with Imai would include Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Justin Steele, and Imanaga.
However, an ESPN survey of 15 MLB executives favors the San Francisco Giants with five votes to sign Imai, ahead of the Dodgers and Yankees (three votes each), Cubs (two), and one each for the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres. One executive stated, “The Giants have been in the hunt [for a Japanese pitcher] in the past; pairing Imai with Logan Webb makes a ton of sense.” The Giants see Imai fitting alongside Logan Webb and Robbie Ray on their up-and-coming roster. Reports from MLB executives also position the Giants ahead of the $8.2 billion-valued Yankees in the race, despite the Dodgers' history of signing Japanese stars like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki.
The Blue Jays recently bolstered their staff by signing Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal.