After seven years with the New York Yankees, free-agent right-hander Masahiro Tanaka announced Thursday that he will return to Japan to pitch for the Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Nippon Professional Baseball League.
“I have decided to return to Japan and play for the Rakuten Eagles in the 2021 season,” wrote Tanaka and Twitter. “I wanted to make sure and get in touch with you, and thank you for all the love and support you have given me over the last 7 seasons.
“I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to take the field as a member of the New York Yankees and play in front of all of you passionate fans. It has been an honor and a privilege! Thank you so much!”
WELCOME HOME our HERO!!!!https://t.co/2WoFI9XjKJ#RakutenEagles #Welcome back pic.twitter.com/2DNlgJYORy
— Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (@Rakuten__Eagles) January 28, 2021
Tanaka, 32, is coming off a season where he missed some time after being hit in the head by a shot from teammate Giancarlo Stanton during live batting practice, he just completed a seven-year, $ 155 million.
A two-time All-Star selection, Tanaka spent his seven MLB seasons as a starter for the Yankees from 2014 to 2020 and was one of the most consistent starting pitchers in the majors in that span, going 78-46 in 173 starts.
He went 3-3 with a 3.56 ERA, up from 4.45 in 2019, in 10 starts during the 2020 season shortened by the pandemic.
Tanaka was found to have a partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow during the 2014 season, and from then on, the Yankees tried to give him extra rest between starts at times. He earned a base salary of $ 22 million in the 2018 and 2019 seasons and $ 23 million in 2020.
He pitched well in the playoffs during his time in the Bronx, going 5-4 with a 4.18 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 15 walks in 10 starts and 54 innings. He had his best postseason run in 2017, when he was 2-1 with a 0.90 ERA, 18 strikeouts and three walks in 20 innings during the division series against Cleveland and the American League Championship Series against Houston.
Before joining the Yankees, Tanaka was 99-35 with a 2.30 ERA in seven seasons with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, striking out 1,238 opponents in 1,315 innings.
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