Veteran pitcher Masahiro Tanaka’s MLB career appears to be over, at least for now. Tanaka, who pitched for the New York Yankees over the past seven years, decided to return to his native Japan and re-join the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
The NPB side announced the move on Thursday morning, with Tanaka confirming the news on social media several hours later.
Tanaka leaves New York after completing his seven-year, $155 million deal with the Yankees at the end of the 2020 MLB season. He made 10 starts last year, posting a 3-3 record with a 3.56 ERA and 44 strikeouts.
Issuing a statement on Twitter, Tanaka said goodbye to Yankees supporters, writing that “it has been an honor and a privilege” playing in front of them. He later added that he will explain his decision to swap the MLB for the NPB at a later date.
The news comes as a surprise, considering that Masahiro Tanaka was considered one of the top 10 available free agents this offseason. One of the reasons for this unexpected move could be the fact that the free agency is moving slower this year than usual and that the teams are more cautious about committing to players due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Yankees had an interest in re-signing Tanaka but were reportedly looking for a discount after giving a new deal to DJ LeMahieu. The Padres were also mentioned as an interested party, but they decided to go in another direction by trading for Joe Musgrove.
Since coming to the MLB in 2014, Tanaka established himself as one of the most consistent pitchers in the league. He was a starter for all of his seven years in a Yankees jersey, posting a 78–46 career record to go with a 3.74 ERA and 991 strikeouts.
