Yankees sign pitcher Masahiro Tanaka to seven-year, $155M contract

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.

Tanaka 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]