San Francisco Giants

The race for Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto is heating up, and a West Coast team is reportedly not out of the running.

According to The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly, the San Francisco Giants "have been assured they will be given every consideration" by Yamamoto after meeting with him last week in the Bay Area.

Yamamoto, who is undoubtedly the most coveted player remaining on the open market, is reportedly believed to be considering the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. The Los Angeles Dodgers are also on the radar after they signed two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani.

However, the Giants should not be discouraged about their chances to sign Yamamoto. Baggarly noted that the 25-year-old right-hander could have stayed at his agency in Los Angeles but flew into San Francisco to meet with team officials at Oracle Park last week, which is a step in the right direction.

"That detail might not count as a good omen. But it's not a bad omen, either," Baggarly explained. "Especially after Yamamoto jetted to New York to hold private meetings with the Mets and Yankees over the past few days."

It was also stated that the Giants are "enamored" with Yamamoto, and understandably so. While starring for the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball, he put together a career record of 70-29. This past season, he went 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA and 169 strikeouts in 164 innings of work.

That type of dominance would be a welcome addition to any team in MLB, but the Giants are hoping to make a splash after falling short on other big-name free agents in recent years. It remains to be seen if San Francisco will land its biggest target this time around.

The San Francisco Giants look like the top candidate to sign reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, according to USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale.

Snell may not sign with a new team until fellow free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto finalizes his own deal, according to Nightengale. Yamamoto's contract is expected to exceed $300 million.

The starter led the NL with a 2.25 ERA and threw a career-best 234 strikeouts with the San Diego Padres in 2023. He finished the season with a 14-9 record through 32 starts and 180.0 innings pitched.

Snell declined a $20.325 million qualifying offer from the Padres in order to test free agency this offseason.

The Giants have been consistently reported as a candidate for the biggest starting pitchers available this offseason. After struggling with consistency in their 2023 starting rotation, the team is looking to return to playoff contention by adding veteran talent to back up NL Cy Young Award finalist Logan Webb.

San Francisco was in the running for star two-way player Shohei Ohtani, to the point where they agreed to the 10-year, $700 million deal with $680 million deferred that Ohtani eventually received from the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan.

To add insult to the injury of Ohtani signing with a perennial rival, former Giants star Buster Posey told The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly earlier this week that the team's bid for Ohtani was impacted by the perception of "the state of the city" in regards to crime in San Francisco.

The Giants have also offered more than $300 million for Yamamoto, a 25-year-old Japanese league star expected to become a starter in the MLB, according to CBS Sports' Jim Bowden.

If the Yamamoto bid doesn't work out, the Giants could turn to a proven quantity in Snell, who pitched for newly hired manager Bob Melvin in San Diego.

In addition to adding a veteran starter to their rotation, the Giants' acquisition of Snell would give the team a chance to counter the Dodgers' addition of Ohtani. Snell has a career 13-2 record and 2.59 ERA against Los Angeles.

The San Francisco Giants are interested in starting pitcher Shōta Imanaga as a potential free-agent acquisition, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

Imanaga was posted on Nov. 27 after eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan's highest level of the sport. In 2023, the 30-year-old put up a 2.66 ERA in 24 games while racking up 188 strikeouts in 159 innings of work.

Per Morosi, the market for Imanaga is expected to clear up once free agent right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes his decision. The 25-year-old ace is one of the most coveted free agents this offseason and has reportedly received offers worth more than $300 million already (via Jim Bowden of CBS Sports).

San Francisco is considered one of Yamamoto's potential landing spots, as the Giants haven't been shy about their interest in his services. They reportedly met with him on Dec. 10, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

It appears that Imanaga could be San Francisco's second option if Yamamoto chooses another destination. After all, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has repeatedly mentioned the team's desire to add rotation help.

"We still feel good," Zaidi said when asked about upgrading the Giants' starting pitching, per Steven Rissotto of Sports Illustrated. "We've talked about that being a goal of ours. It's going to have to be the right pitcher. We think there are several avenues for us to get there. … We're having active conversations."

Imanaga has until Jan. 9 to sign with an MLB team.

It appears that the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes may reach an unprecedented price tag.

Jim Bowden of CBS Sports reported that the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox made "strong recent push" for the Japanese pitcher that included contract offers that exceed $300 million.

This would be a significant step up from New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga's five-year, $75 million deal from last offseason and would more than double former New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka's $155 million deal from 2014, which is the current highest ever for a Japanese player coming over to MLB.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Wednesday that Yamamoto could receive the longest contract for a pitcher in MLB history, a mark that is currently held by former Cleveland pitcher Wayne Garland, who signed a 10-year deal with the team in the 1970s.

This is quite the risk for a team to take on given Yamamoto's lack of MLB experience. This is perhaps even more top-of-mind for Red Sox fans, considering the Daisuke Matsuzaka contract from 2006.

However, Yamamoto appears to be as close to a sure thing as one can get. He has compiled a 70-29 overall record in Nippon Professional Baseball with a career ERA of 1.82. He is coming off a season where he went 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA.

He is a five-time All-Star. three-time triple crown winner, three-time Pacific League MVP, three-time Sawamura Award winner, and helped the Orix Buffaloes win the 2022 Japan Series. He's just 25 years old and should have much more long-term longevity than someone like Senga, who was entering his age-30 season when he signed with the Mets.

While the Red Sox and Giants appear to be ready to open their wallets to bring in Yamamoto, the two clubs are far from this only suitors. The New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs have all been involved in his process, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have been looked at as favorites to land him.

Star KBO outfielder Jung Hoo Lee paid homage to his father in his introduction to the San Francisco Giants.

"My name is Jung Hoo Lee, Grandson of the Wind, from Korea," Lee said Friday during his introductory press conference.

Lee's father, former KBO MVP Jong Beom Lee, was nicknamed "Son of the Wind" for his prodigious speed.

Jung Hoo went on to win the league's MVP award in 2022.

Despite his own success in the KBO and his adoption of his father's nickname, Lee said he still doesn't think he could beat the original "Son of the Wind" in a race.

Through seven seasons in the KBO, Lee slashed .340/.407/.491 before signing a six-year, $113 million deal with the Giants.

In his introduction, Lee said it was his "dream" to play in MLB.

"I always have loved the Bay Area. ... I am here to win, and will always give my best," Lee said, before finishing his introductory speech with, "Let's go, Giants."

The Giants plan to play Lee as their "everyday center fielder," according to MLB.com.

Shohei Ohtani apparently would have been willing to defer the majority of the money in a contract with the San Francisco Giants as well.

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic noted Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said the team was "agreeable" to the deal Ohtani presented, which was the same one he ultimately signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While the deal with Los Angeles was a massive 10-year, $700 million one, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported Ohtani will defer $68 million of the $70 million he was set to make per year until after the end of the contract. That means the Dodgers will pay out $680 million of it from 2034 to 2043 without interest.

It comes as no surprise the Giants front office would have been interested in that type of contract format.

ESPN's Jeff Passan called it a "huge discount" for the Dodgers and noted the competitive balance tax on it will be approximately $46 million. That, in turn, will presumably help Los Angeles add even more players this offseason and bolster a roster that is already among the league's best.

The Dodgers have been connected to the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and others since signing Ohtani.

Ohtani never made the playoffs during his tenure with the Los Angeles Angels, and it isn't difficult to assume his decision to join the Dodgers was largely motivated by an opportunity to win. That is especially the case if San Francisco was willing to offer the same financial structure as the Dodgers were in free agency.

Los Angeles has won the National League West in 10 of the last 11 seasons, and that stretch of success came without Ohtani.

Its lineup will now feature the two-time American League MVP alongside Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, making it all the more difficult for the Giants to close the gap in the race for a division crown.

San Francisco might have closed that gap entirely if it was the one to sign Ohtani to a contract with such drastic deferrals, but now it has to face him in the same division.

The San Francisco Giants reportedly made their first major move of the offseason on Tuesday.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, centerfielder Jung Hoo Lee agreed to a six-year, $113 million contract with the National League West team. Heyman noted the deal includes an opt out after four seasons.

Lee was posted by the Kiwoom Heroes earlier this month and has starred in the Korea Baseball Organization in recent years.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted the Giants weren't the only team interested:

San Francisco is playing catch up to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers considering they have won the NL West in 10 of the last 11 seasons and just added arguably the best player in the game in Shohei Ohtani.

Lee may not be as talented as Ohtani, but he can help the Giants close the gap if he plays like he did in the KBO.

He was the Rookie of the Year in 2017 and then won the MVP in 2022 with a .349/.421/.575 slash line, 23 home runs and 113 RBI. Hitting for average had never been a concern, but it marked the first time he launched more than 15 home runs in a season.

Adding that type of power to his approach made Lee all the more dangerous at the plate entering the 2023 campaign. Throw in his .429 batting average for South Korea in the World Baseball Classic, and he figured to be on the verge of another dominant season.

However, his 2023 campaign was cut short after he suffered a broken left ankle in July. He was still productive, though, and was slashing .318/.406/.455 with six home runs and 45 RBI at the time of the setback.

Lee is just 25 years old and was one of the best contact hitters available this offseason. He hit better than .300 in all seven of his seasons in the KBO and should help anchor the Giants' lineup in 2024 even as he adjusts to life in a new league on a different continent.

San Francisco likely needs to add more pieces to fully close the gap with the dominant Dodgers, but this is an ideal start as it looks to improve its roster.