1 free agent every team that whiffed on Shohei Ohtani must sign

Giants should anchor pitching staff with Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The Giants went 9-19 in September and October to close out what was otherwise a promising season. As a result, San Francisco replaced Gabe Kapler with Bob Melvin, a manager with decades of experience at the controls. That figures to come with a major shift in approach for the Giants, with Kapler's analytical mind no longer driving their lineup and bullpen decisions.

Only time will tell if it's for the better. Either way, the Giants have several holes to plug on the roster. The team has tried and failed to sign a multitude of offensive stars at this point, but the primary focus right now should be on bolstering the pitching rotation. San Francisco's best bet is trying to convince Yoshinobu Yamamoto to come to the Bay.

New reports suggest Yamamoto's contract could exceed $300 million. That's a rich price point for a pitcher, but Yamamoto is 25 years old with the potential to operate as a No. 1 ace for the next decade-plus. It's rare for pitchers his age to hit the open market. He recently tied Ichiro with three straight NPB MVP awards, going 16-6 in 23 starts for the Orix Buffaloes, posting a 1.21 ERA and 0.884 WHIP.

San Francisco has a couple solid starters atop their rotation in Logan Webb and Alex Cobb, but neither profiles as a bankable No. 1 in the postseason. It's virtually impossible to get far without top-shelf pitching in today's MLB. The Texas Rangers made several big swings on the pitching front at the 2023 trade deadline. Look how that turned out. Yamamoto should be worth every penny for a team willing to dip deep into their financial reservoirs. San Francisco should be making every effort to sign him.