The Yankees have reportedly won the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes. Ken Rosenthal reports that they have agreed to a seven-year, $155 million contract, with an opt-out after 2017. Counting the $20 million posting fee, that amounts to seven years and $175 million, or precisely what they were offering Robinson Cano earlier this off-season.
Mike already told you everything there is to know about Tanaka, so now seems like as good a time as any for a refresher. NPB Tracker also has a nice breakdown of Tanaka’s pitch data and game logs from the past few years, though it does not include 2013 data.
The new posting system, combined with the Yankees’ desperate need for another starting pitcher, created this situation. In the past the Yankees might have bid $75 million and worked out a $50 or $60 million contract. Just yesterday Joel Sherman wondered if the Yankees’ financial advantages might not be the same as in the past: “And is it possible there are organizations beyond the Dodgers ready to do the monetary staredown with the Yanks?” Apparently not.
The Yankees have now spent $474 million this off-season, and they might not be done. Now that they’re over the luxury cap, they can continue flexing their muscles by spending money to fill the current roster holes. The next few weeks could get interesting.
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