The New York Yankees may have had Tatsuya Imai on their offseason checklist for a while, but it’s the San Francisco Giants who have been viewed as the top suitor for the Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star. Imai must reach an agreement with an MLB club by January 2. With roughly four weeks into 2026, he’s more likely to end up in the Bronx than in the Bay Area.

After the Giants’ interest in Tatsuya Imai for weeks, Buster Posey reported that most of their recent pitching inquiries have focused on cheaper options.

That strongly suggested their front office is no longer pushing for high-priced names like Imai.

Pitching depth is a genuine concern for the Giants this offseason. In fact, an MLB executive even said that “pairing Imai with [Giants pitcher] Logan Webb makes a ton of sense.”

Considering that they appear to be bowing out of the mix for him is certainly an encouraging sign for the Yankees.

The New York Yankees are still searching for another starting pitcher. And now, with one contender out of the mix for Tatsuya Imai’s services, they’re among the top suitors for the hard-throwing Japanese right-hander.

The 27-year-old posted a 1.92 ERA and a 0.892 WHIP with 178 strikeouts across 24 games in the Japan Pacific League this past season.

Across his nine-year career between leagues, he’s put together a solid 3.07 ERA and a 1.266 WHIP in 187 appearances.

Adding Imai to the rotation would be a massive lift for the Yankees, given how their pitching depth took significant hits in 2025. Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt both had to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Cole should return at some point next season. However, he won’t be ready for Opening Day, that’s for sure.

Meanwhile, Schmidt’s timeline is even more uncertain. Carlos Rodón also needed a procedure on his left elbow. Although it wasn’t as serious, he’s still expected to miss the beginning of the 2026 season.

In all, the Yankees have all the reasons to go all in for Tatsuya Imai. But where does that leave the Giants now?

What options are left for the Giants after withdrawing from the race for Tatsuya Imai?

The San Francisco Giants are now expected to turn to veteran free agents for short-term deals. Reports suggest they could bring back ace Justin Verlander for another season. All while also exploring other experienced arms like veteran ace Max Scherzer, Zac Gallen, or Michael King.

Next up, the Giants may have to answer questions about the future roles of some of their young arms.

For instance, their top pitching prospect, Carson Whisenhunt, showed flashes of promise in 2025. But he may be better suited for a relief role in 2026.

The Giants were forced to dig deep into their pitching depth last season because injuries and inconsistent performances piled up.

Whisenhunt was called up with the hope he could stabilize the rotation, but even that ultimately didn’t materialize.

Across five starts, the left-hander posted a 5.01 ERA over 23⅓ innings, striking out 16 while walking 12 and giving up six home runs.

He did have one standout outing in New York against the Mets. He tossed 5⅓ innings while allowing just one earned run.

However, he struggled to be consistent. A significant factor seemed to be his changeup. It was his most highly regarded pitch in the minors, but it proved less effective at the major league level.

Let’s wait to see how the Giants’ pitching depth will eventually look!