Yankee Hiro says goodbye
Tanaka heads home to Japan after seven seasons in Bronx
Masahiro Tanaka, one of the most reliable Yankees over his seven years with the team, is returning to his old Japanese team. He announced the long-expected move on Thursday.
“I feel extremely fortunate for having the opportunity to take the field as a member of the New York Yankees, and play in front of all you passionate fans,” Tanaka said in a statement. “It has been an honor and a privilege.”
Tanaka is signing with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the team he last played for before signing a seven-year, $155 million deal with the Yankees.
He was a workhorse in those seven seasons, starting 163 games in the first six years of the deal before the shortened 2020 season. He was stellar in eight postseason starts from 2015-19, only allowing ten runs in 46 innings through 2019. But he struggled in the Yankees’ two playoff series this past October, getting knocked around by the Indians and Rays in two starts.
Newly re-signed slugger DJ LeMahieu opened his Thursday press conference by expressing sadness in no longer being able to call Tanaka a teammate.
“Just wanted to mention what a great teammate he’s been,” LeMahieu said, “what an impact he’d had on the Yankees, the city. Obviously wish him well ... I’m disappointed I’m not going to be able to play with him anymore, but really happy for him and just wanted to mention what a great teammate, what a great person he was.”
Tanaka’s departure, which came during an offseason that very few teams, if any, rumored to make him serious offers, leaves the Yankees’ rotation in a similar place to last year. There’s Gerrit Cole, then a lot of pitchers that could work out, or could flop.
Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon and Luis Severino are high-end talents coming off major surgeries. They combined to pitch one inning in 2020.
Then there are three talented, largely untested young pitchers: Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, and Jordan Montgomery. All pitched for the big club in 2020, with Montgomery making ten starts.
And there’s Domingo German, who is eligible to return after a domestic violence suspension. He didn’t pitch in MLB last year.
All seven are capable of delivering what Tanaka did year-in, year-out since 2013. None are a safe bet to.