MLB analyst gets blunt as Giants’ cheap pitching targets undercut their Tatsuya Imai chase

After several insiders and executives linked the San Francisco Giants to Japanese flamethrower Tatsuya Imai, it seems like the NL West team has dropped out of the race. The team, which currently has a little over $138 million allocated to its payroll in 2026, is unwilling to take on Imai's contract, considering market projections.

According to MLB insider Buster Olney, writing on X on Saturday, the Giants are unlikely to offer contracts to marquee free agents like Imai. They have set moderate targets to bolster their rotation.

"The Giants have been repeatedly linked to Tatsuyi Imai, the premier free agent pitcher from Japan," Olney wrote. "But a lot of their market pitching inquiries have been for more modestly priced arms -- a strong indication they aren't chasing the highest priced pitchers, like Imai."

Tatsuya Imai was billed as a perfect fit for the Giants. The 27-year-old had claimed on a Japanese TV program on Monday that he wishes to beat the Dodgers to a title. There was no better place to do it than the Giants, their rivals in the NL West. Moreover, Oracle Park has earned a reputation for being a pitcher-friendly ballpark.

Almost all publications listed Imai in the same bracket as proven MLB starters Framber Valdez and Dylan Cease as the biggest free agent starters, after he pitched to a 1.92 ERA season in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league this year. After Cease earned a seven-year $210 million deal from the Toronto Blue Jays, it made Imai's case of getting a similar deal only stronger.

The Giants have doled out only three contracts in excess of $150 million in their past. Two of them, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames, are on their payroll, and the other, Buster Posey, is their President of Baseball Operations. Posey knows that veering off from the team's philosophy isn't ideal when they are projected to have only a $158 million payroll in 2026, according to Sportrac.

Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly likely on Giants' radar

After the big three pitchers, the next group of starters is likely to receive a contract inside the nine-figure mark, something that would be ideal for the Giants. This includes Zac Gallen, Ranger Suarez and Merrill Kelly among others.

Gallen, who pitched 13-15 with a 4.83 ERA with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2025, will head into his age-30 season, is projected for a four-year $76 million contract by ESPN's Kiley McDaniel. The same list had Suarez projected for $92 million in the same time frame after a 12-8, 3.20 ERA season. Veteran pitcher Kelly could receive a two-year, modest contract entering his age-37 season.