The Giants’ pitching search this offseason may not stop at the usual places. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco has been scouting Japanese pitchers Hiromi Itoh and Karima Taira, both of whom are expected to be available to MLB teams this year.
That fits the reality facing the Giants after a 65-97 season that left plenty of work to do. Injuries hit the pitching staff hard, and the team enters the 2027 season with real uncertainty in both the bullpen and the rotation.
The injury list is part of why the Giants are looking so broadly. Carson Whisenhunt and Trevor McDonald underwent Tommy John surgery in 2026, Blade Tidwell was also scheduled for a procedure in October, and all three could miss the entire 2027 season. Hayden Birdsong had Tommy John surgery in March and could potentially return sometime during the 2027 season.
That leaves San Francisco needing answers, and not just filler innings. Logan Webb is still the steady presence atop the staff, but beyond him the picture gets murky in a hurry. Buster Posey may have to cast a wide net to give the club more reliable choices.
Itoh, 29, would give the Giants an established starter with a track record of handling innings for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. In 2026, the right-hander went 10-10 with a 3.18 ERA and 159 strikeouts over 172 2/3 innings. That came after a bigger 2025 season, when he posted a 14-8 record, a 2.52 ERA and 195 strikeouts in 196 2/3 innings.
He is not the kind of arm that wins with pure power. Instead, Itoh works with a varied pitch mix and showed solid command in 2026, walking just 34 batters over those 172 2/3 innings. For a Giants team that needs experience, command and durability, that profile makes sense.
Taira brings a different look. The Saitama Seibu Lions right-hander has worked both as a starter and out of the bullpen, and that kind of versatility always catches the attention of MLB clubs. In 2026, he went 12-5 with a 1.36 ERA across 146 innings and struck out 141 hitters.
He spent much of 2025 in relief before moving back into a starting role in 2026, and he proved he can thrive in either lane. Unlike Itoh, Taira can reach the upper 90s with his fastball, which gives him a power element San Francisco does not have enough of right now.
His path to the market still depends on his Japanese club making him available through the posting system before MLB teams can negotiate with him. If he does get there, he figures to draw interest from multiple teams, and the Giants would have to move decisively.
None of this means a signing is around the corner. But after a 97-loss season and a pitching staff battered by injuries, San Francisco is clearly looking for more than one way to patch the holes. Itoh and Taira are two names worth watching.
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