The Giants made a splash with the signing on Saturday, but could another monumental move be on the horizon for San Francisco?

Coveted free-agent pitcher Roki Sasaki, a superstar in Japan’s Nippon Proffesional Baseball League, is expected to be drafted during the upcoming MLB Winter Meetings, ESPN’s Jeff Pasan reported Saturday, citing sources.

While teams will be lining up to secure the services of the flame-throwing right-hander, the Giants are among a handful of clubs expected to be “significant players” for Sasaki, Passan reported Saturday.

However, San Francisco isn’t the only NL West ballclub seeking the superstar pitcher, as Passan named the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres as serious suitors for Sasaki.

The other “significant players” for Sasaki that Passan mentions are the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers.

Teams vying for Sasaki have 45 days to convince the star pitcher to join their team once he is signed by his current team, the Chiba Lotte Marines. Since Sasaki is only 23 years old, he can only be signed as an international amateur, which comes with a financial cap, rather than going over the open limit, which he would likely do in normal free agency.

Sasaki is coming off a sensational 2024 season for the Marines, posting a 10-5 record with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 111 innings pitched.

After bolstering the lineup with the rumored addition of Adames, could the Giants turn to their pitching staff and add a rotation led by perennial Cy Young Award candidate Logan Webb?

Will Sasaki want to join Samurai Japan teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the Dodgers? Or will he relish the opportunity to compete against them and embrace the pitcher-friendly confines of Oracle Park as his new home?

Time will tell…

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