The wait is finally over…
After months of speculation, right-handed pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has reached an agreement with the New York Yankees on a seven-year, $155 million contract.
BREAKING: Tanaka to #Yankees, seven years, $155M, opt-out after fourth year.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 22, 2014Tanaka was expected to wait until Friday, Jan. 24 before announcing his decision.
The highly-coveted Japanese pitcher was previously linked to other teams including the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers and even the Seattle Mariners.
The 25-year-old’s deal includes an opt-out clause after the fourth year. Tanaka went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA with the Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2013.
In addition to paying his contract, the Yankees now owe a $20 million posting fee to the Golden Eagles.
The ace pitcher will join a New York rotation that also includes CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda. He had 1,238 strikeouts in 175 games for Rakuten.
[Bleacher Report] [ESPN]
