Signing Masahiro Tanaka will be an expensive endeavor.
Tanaka, who officially has been posted by the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, is expected to cost a minimum of $17 million per year, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
The 30-day posting period for Tanaka began Thursday. Any major-league team can negotiate a contract with Tanaka as long as it’s willing to pay the Eagles a $20 million fee on top of whatever it agrees to pay the Japanese pitcher. It’s been speculated that Tanaka could earn a contract in excess of $100 million, and that possibility seems even greater if the starting price in negotiations indeed is $17 million annually.
Tanaka went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA with Rakuten in 2013. He is still just 25 years old and is viewed by many as a potential ace. His list of suitors figures to be long, especially with the new Japanese posting system carrying a $20 million maximum bid.
The Yankees already have contacted Tanaka’s agent, Casey Close, according to Newsday’s Marc Carig.
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Photo via Facebook/Masahiro Tanaka
