Masahiro Tanaka returns to Japan after 7 seasons with the New York Yankees

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After seven years with the New York Yankees, right-back Masahiro Tanaka, a free agent, announced Thursday that he would return to Japan to play for the Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball League.

“I have decided to return to Japan and play for the Rakuten Eagles for the 2021 season,” Tanaka wrote on Twitter. “I wanted to secure myself and touch the base with you, and thank you for all the love and support you have given me over the last 7 seasons.”

“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to go out on 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 !!”

The 32-year-old, who came out of a season in which he wasted time after being hit in the head by his teammate Giancarlo Stanton during live batting practice, has just completed the last year of a sixteen-year contract worth $ 155 million.

A two-star selection, the right-back spent all seven seasons of the MLB as a starter for the Yankees from 2014 to 2020 and has been one of the most consistent pitchers of the majors in that period, going from 78 to 46 in 173 starts.

Tanaka set a 3-3 record with an ERA of 3.56 (down 4.45 in 2019) in ten starts during the reduced 2020 pandemic season.

Tanaka was found to have a partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow during the 2014 season, and since then the Yankees have tried to give him an extra break between starts. He earned a base salary of $ 22 million in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons and $ 23 million in 2020.

Tanaka pitched well in the playoffs during his stay in the Bronx, going 5-4 with a 4.18 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 15 starts in 10 outings in 54 innings. He had his best postseason run in 2017 when he won 2-1 with an effectiveness of 0.90, 18 strikeouts and three runs 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 years old with an ERA of 2.30 in seven seasons with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, reaching 1,238 in 1,315 innings.

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