Kaima Taira Could Be A's Pitching Answer This Winter

The Athletics will be after some pitching upgrades this winter, especially if Luis Severino decides to opt out of his $22 million player option for the 2027 season. If the right-hander decides to stay, they'll be looking to add some depth to the mix.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic put out his own projections and predictions for the top 40 MLB free agents this offseason, and Kaima Taira of the Seibu Lions (NPB) had the A's listed as one of his best fits, along with the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels, and San Francisco Giants.

That's a group of teams the A's may actually be able to compete against in free agency, given the young offensive core the organization has. That group could push the A's into the postseason sooner rather than later, while the other clubs in the mix are longer-term builds. Bowden has Taira projected for a three-year, $30 million contract.

Set to turn 27 in just a couple of weeks, the right-hander is a hard thrower with a fastball that can touch triple digits and supplements it with a 92-mph cutter and a number of breaking and off-speed offerings. FanGraphs graded his fastball as a 70 on the 20-80 scout scale, while his slider (45), splitter (55), and cutter (50) also rate well.

This past season he made 23 starts in the rotation, boasting a 1.36 ERA across 146 innings while holding a 24.8% strikeout rate along with a 7.9% walk rate. Despite the low walk rate when compared to Major League Baseball, his command graded out at a well below average 30 at FanGraphs. 

Taira spent most of the 2024 and 2025 seasons in the bullpen, and that command could have him back in that role, despite an impressive showing as a starting pitcher in 2026. His career ERA is just 1.78 in 325 NPB games, most of which have come in relief. 

It's reportedly known that he has a desire to start, and that could be the A's advantage. After losing out on Sean Newcomb in free agency last winter by not entertaining his desire to try being a starting pitcher, the A's will have hopefully learned their lesson and will do what it takes to land their guy.

The White Sox just moved Newcomb to the bullpen anyway, but they gave him the chance he was after. 

The A's have gone down this road in the recent past as well, signing Shintaro Fujinami ahead of the 2023 season and giving him a spot in the rotation, along with two-way prospect Shotaro Morii, who signed with the A's because they would let him try to both hit and pitch.

If Taira wants to start, give him that shot.

His ground-ball rate sat at 48.5% in 2026 as a starter, and has been above 45% every year since 2019. That should lead to more success with the A's in Sacramento than the average arm, given the ballpark's hitter-friendly tendencies. 

For the A's, this signing would likely mean that Jack Perkins would be either moved to the bullpen or optioned to the minor leagues in order to stay stretched out as rotation depth. If Taira worked out in the rotation, Perkins would be a nice-to-have bullpen option late in the year, and if Taira were better in the bullpen, then Perkins could step right in. 

The biggest factor is that this would build pitching depth for the A's, which they sorely need. 

At that 3/$30 estimate, he's certainly an arm worth taking a shot on. If it works out, the A's have a high-end arm at a low cost. If he's a bullpen piece, the price tag may not be quite as team-friendly, but still not completely outrageous. If Taira were hit around, it would still be a low-risk deal at the end of the day.