Nippon Professional Baseball ace Tatsuya Imai has officially entered MLB free agency, and his earlier boast of wanting to "take down the Dodgers" may now come true. According to ESPN's survey of 16 MLB executives, five predict Imai will ultimately join the Los Angeles Dodgers' archrival—the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants have suffered in recent years watching Yoshinobu Yamamoto cross the ocean to help the Dodgers secure back-to-back championships. Now, they finally have an opportunity to bolster their rotation with an ace. Especially after the Toronto Blue Jays signed Justin Verlander to a massive seven-year, $210 million deal, the market is left with only two top-tier starting pitchers: Darvish and Imai.

Heath's massive contract has unexpectedly inflated the overall market value. Imai, previously estimated at around $150 million, now stands to command an even higher figure. However, with a more complete resume and no time constraints due to his non-drafted status, Waddz is expected to secure a longer, more lucrative deal.

In contrast, Imai faces a 45-day negotiation window under the posting system, necessitating a quicker decision on his destination. This has positioned the Giants—the most aggressive suitors and the team most eager to challenge the Dodgers—as the current front-runners to land him.