Blue Jays likely out of the running for SF Giants starting pitching target after latest move

The SF Giants are among the teams that have been linked to star NPB pitcher Tatsuya Imai this offseason. The Toronto Blue Jays have been linked to him as well, but they are likely out of the running after reportedly signing Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million pact, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Blue Jays are likely out of the runner for SF Giants starting pitching target after latest move

At this point, the Blue Jays are almost certainly done making additions to the starting rotation. They entered the offseason with a couple of spots to fill. One domino fell quickly after Shane Bieber exercised his $16 million player option for 2026.

That was a fortuitous move for the Blue Jays, as Bieber would have received widespread interest in free agency. If he did reach free agency, they could have retained him, but it likely would have taken a multi-year deal.

Once the Cease signing is finalized, Toronto will have him penciled into the rotation for the next seven seasons. He will join a strong unit consisting of Bieber, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and José Berríos.

Berríos finished the season on the injured list with elbow inflammation, ending a remarkable track record of durability. He had made at least 32 starts for six straight seasons. In 2025, he fell just shy of that mark after appearing in 31 games, including 30 starts. The Blue Jays expect him to have a normal season.

Toronto can now turn its attention to the lineup. This is good news for other teams in the Tatsuya Imai market, as it means one suitor is off the board. The Blue Jays would have been a strong suitor after nearly winning the World Series, but it is commendable to see a team take advantage of the moment and be aggressive.

The Giants will compete with some of the other big market teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and the Seattle Mariners are often viewed as a darkhorse team in the NPB market.

There is a case to be made that the Giants have more room to add a high-profile name to the rotation than some of those other teams. In particular, the Dodgers and Yankees have already invested a lot of money into their rotations. For them, adding Imai is more of a want than a need.

Imai is coming off a strong year with the Saitama Seibu Lions. He pitched to a 1.92 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 9.8/9, and a 3.96 SO/W rate across 163.2 innings. His posting window began on November 18 and runs through January 2, 2026.