The SF Giants have made it clear that they do not want to sign a pitcher to a long-term deal. That means they will be playing in the shallow end of the pool this offseason which could lead them to Tomoyuki Sugano.
While Tatsuya Imai is the premier Japanese free agent on the market this winter, recent reports suggest the Giants are not going to be major players in that pursuit. This is disappointing given his comments on the Los Angeles Dodgers, but perhaps not all that surprising given the way the team has operated in recent years.