The Yankees made major waves Wednesday signing Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka to a contract worth seven years and $155 million. The deal isn’t only the largest contract ever for an international free agent, but is the fifth largest for a pitcher in MLB history.
That’s right, a pitcher most have never heard of has a contract that only trails — according to ESPN — Clayton Kershaw ($215 million), Justin Verlander ($180 million), Felix Hernandez ($175 million) and C.C. Sabathia ($161 million under his original agreement with New York).
Very gutsy considering Japanese imports have been very unpredictable, most experts believing their stats are very comparable with American Triple-A numbers.
“We’re going to do what we’ve got to do to win,” Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, who is not as involved in day-to-day operations as his brother, Hal, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
The Yankees are over the $189 million mark, which means they will be taxed at a 50 percent rate in the future. They had hoped to slip under the number to reduce their tax rate to 12.5 percent.
The team badly wanted Tanaka and made it clear to him during a meeting two weeks ago. On Jan. 8, according to sources, the Yankees sent an eight-man group to Los Angeles to meet with Tanaka and Close. President Randy Levine, GM Brian Cashman, assistant GMs Billy Eppler and Jean Afterman, manager Joe Girardi, pitching coach Larry Rothschild, former Japanese manager Trey Hillman (a special assistant to Cashman) and translator George Rose were present.
“They sold him on the Yankees,” a source told ESPNNewYork.com. “That it was the right place to play and that big-game players play there.”
No doubt Tanaka has all the great numbers to back a big-time contract (1.27 ERA). But will he break into the league ready to perform as the fifth best pitcher in baseball? The answer is no. But that’s what the Yankees are paying him to do.
Daisuke Matsuzaka was highly touted when he came out of Japan in 2006 with a 2.13 ERA. In the seven years with the Red Sox and Mets since, he’s posted an MLB ERA under 4.00 just once. So will Tanaka be a Matsuka or a Cy-Young candidate Yu Darvish?
I hope it works out, but this move obviously wreaks of desperation from the front office in the Bronx. Watch closely on how he performs in Spring Training.
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him @Jhelmuth or “like” CraveOnlineSports on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Getty
