According to a report from NJ Advance Media’s Randy Miller, free agent pitcher Masahiro Tanaka will either re-sign with the Yankees or return to his native Japan to pitch for his old ball club, the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
The 32-year-old has spent the last seven season with the Bombers, compiling a 3.94 FIP, 114 ERA+, and 2.5 bWAR/season. He signed a seven-year, $155 million contract in 2014 and has been a reliable starter for the team ever since.
Miller reported that if Tanaka were to return to the Yankees, it would have to be a step down from his $22 million salary in 2020. The contract would look more like a one- or two-year deal in the $12 million-per-year range.
Tanaka has been able to make the vast majority of his starts the last five seasons following a rocky first two years with the Yankees. Toward the end of his first year in the majors, it was revealed he had a partially torn UCL, though he was able to avoid Tommy John surgery.
Tanaka is one of the second-tier of free agent pitchers the Mets have shown interest in, alongside Jake Odorizzi, James Paxton, and fellow Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano.
