On the MLB free agency rumors front Sunday, right-hander Masahiro Tanaka is reported to be looking for a 1-year deal to pitch in the U.S. this season.
The free-agent market is continuing to move at a glacial pace, but the New York Yankees did take one of the top pieces off the board by re-signing DJ LeMahieu last week. That makes it extremely unlikely veteran Masahiro Tanaka returns to the Bronx, with the weekend MLB free agency rumors circulating a what, if not a where, regarding Tanaka’s desires.
According to Andy Martino of Sports New York, Tanaka is not seeking a lucrative long-term deal. Rather, he reportedly wants a one-year contract in the $15 million to $20 million range. After the Yankees re-signed LeMahieu and brought in former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber on a one-year deal, it’s doubtful the club has the budget for another season of Tanaka.
The San Diego Padres have talked with Tanaka’s people, according to the report, but nothing has gotten serious. It is not out of the question the 32-year-old Tanaka, who was with the Yankees from 2014-20, may just opt to return to Japan.
The two-time All-Star made 10 starts for the Yankees last season, with a 3-3 record (for whatever that’s worth) to go with a 3.56 ERA and 1.167 WHIP over 48 innings. He struck out 44 and walked eight, with his strikeouts per nine innings rate jumping from a career-low 7.4 in 2019 to 8.3 in the truncated 2020 campaign.
But Tanaka was awful in the postseason, getting rocked in his Game 2 start against the Cleveland Indians in the Wild-Card Series. The Indians put up four runs in the first against Tanaka and added two more in the fifth after the Yankees had come back to take a 6-4 lead.
He allowed six runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in four-plus innings of work. New York finished the two-game sweep with two runs in the ninth inning.
Tanaka got the ball again in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays. With the series tied at a game apiece, the right-hander once again couldn’t get out of the fifth inning, getting yanked after serving up a leadoff homer to Randy Arozarena to lead off the inning.
In four-plus innings, Tanaka was battered for five runs on eight hits with a walk and four strikeouts, also surrendering a three-run bomb to Kevin Kiermaier in the fourth inning.
The 11 runs he surrendered in his two postseason starts in 2020 was more than he had allowed in eight playoff starts — 10 runs, nine earned — between 2015-19.
Over seven seasons with New York, Tanaka was 78-46 with a 3.74 ERA and 1.130 WHIP, starting 173 of his 174 appearances while working 1,054.1 innings. He struck out 991 and walked 208 and had an above-average ERA+ in all but one season, topping out with a mark of 140 in 2016.
In seven years pitching at Japan’s top level, Tanaka posted a 2.29 ERA and 1.108 WHIP in 1,319 innings.