When free agency could open up for the SF Giants and the rest of baseball

There are still a lot of good names in free agency, which has many wondering when some of those names will start coming off the board. For the SF Giants and the rest of baseball, that could be after January 2, 2026.

When free agency could open up for the SF Giants and the rest of baseball

Why that date? It is when Tatsuya Imai's posting window expires. The Saitama Seibu Lions of the NPB posted Tatsuya Imai in the middle of November, beginning his 45-day window. More often than not, a player signs well before the expiration of the posting window. That also depends on the player and his market.

Imai is represented by Scott Boras, who often uses every lever to his advantage to net as big of a payday as possible for his clients. He is quite good in that regard, but that often holds up free agency. That has led to players remaining in free agency for longer than expected, but it works.

While most free agents do not have a defined deadline for when they need to sign, that is not the case for Imai. His posting window expires in less than a week, and deadlines tend to inspire activity in baseball.

It is possible that Imai's market has not developed as expected, as many teams wrestle with valuing the star NPB pitcher. This could lead to the Giants closely monitoring his market until his case is resolved.

Imai is not the only free agent remaining as spring training nears. Yes, we are still in the middle of December, but we are getting a touch more sunlight each day following the winter solstice. Spring training is getting closer with each passing day.

Imai is joined by Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez, Bo Bichette, and Kyle Tucker as some of the top remaining options in free agency. The bullpen market has moved quickly, leaving few closer options remaining for San Francisco. That is about the only market that has truly moved.

There is a case to be made for the Giants to target any of the players mentioned above, but they have pursued more of a value-based approach this winter. So far, Adrian Houser's two-year, $22 million deal has been the biggest move.

In the past, posting windows have held up free agency. Interested suitors want to see how that market plays out in case they need to pivot elsewhere. That feels like it should lead to more normal offseason activity once Imai signs.