After seven years in the New York Yankees, right-handed player Masahiro Tanaka announced on Thursday that he will return to Japan to play for the Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Nippon Professional Baseball League.
“I decided to return to Japan and play for the Rakuten Eagles in the 2021 season,” wrote Tanaka on Twitter. “I wanted to be sure and get in touch with you, and thank you for all the love and support you have given me over the past 7 seasons.”
“I am extremely happy to have the opportunity to enter the field as a member of the New York Yankees and play for all of you passionate fans. It has been an honor and a privilege! Thank you very much!”
WELCOME HOME, our HERO !!!! https: //t.co/2WoFI9XjKJ#RakutenEagles # お か え り な さ い pic.twitter.com/2DNlgJYORy
– 東北 楽 天 ゴ ー ル デ ン イ ー グ ル ス (@Rakuten__Eagles) January 28, 2021
The 32-year-old, coming out of a season in which he lost some time after being hit in the head by teammate Giancarlo Stanton’s shot during live streak training, has just completed the last year of a $ 155 million contract seven years.
Twice the All-Star selection, the right-hand spent all seven MLB seasons as a Yankees starter from 2014 to 2020 and was one of the most consistent starting pitchers in the major in that period, going 78-46 in 173 starts.
Tanaka recorded a 3-3 record with an ERA of 3.56 – down from 4.45 in 2019 – in 10 matches during the shortened pandemic season of 2020.
It turned out that Tanaka had a partially torn ligament in the pitcher’s elbow during the 2014 season, and from then on, the Yankees tried to give him extra rest between starts. He earned a base salary of $ 22 million in the 2018-2019 seasons and $ 23 million in 2020.
Tanaka shot well in the playoffs during his time in the Bronx, going 5-4 with an ERA of 4.18, 44 eliminations and 15 walks in 10 matches out of 54 entries. He had his best postseason in 2017, when he reached 2-1 with an ERA of 0.90, 18 eliminations and three walks in 20 entries during the split series against the Cleveland and American League Championship Series against Houston.
Before joining the Yankees, Tanaka had 99-35 with an ERA of 2.30 over seven seasons with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, eliminating 1,238 out of 1,315 entries.