The Giants will enter 2019 with less starting pitching than depth than you might think and a new front office that might be a little more aggressive on the international front than they have previously. That’s more than enough background to explain why Giants scouts were seen watching the Seibu Lions’ Yusei Kikuchi, at least per this tweet:
Scouts from Yankees, SF Giants, Red Sox, Dodgers, Phillies, Brewers and Rangers were in hand to watch #SeibuLions lefty Yusei Kikuchi—who is expected to be posted this winter.
— Jim Allen (@JballAllen) September 28, 2018
Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area reported on this tweet and gave a bit more background on Kikuchi and his track record.