“I have decided to stay with the Yankees for the next three seasons.”
Masahiro Tanaka, who when healthy possesses one of the best Split-finger fastballs in the game, could have opted out of the final three years of his seven year contract, but instead announced that he would be staying in the Bronx. He went on to say ..”It was a simple decision for me, as I have truly enjoyed the past four years, playing for this organization and the wonderful fans of New York. I’m excited to continue to be a part of this team, and I’m committed to our goal of bringing a World Series championship back to the Steinbrenner family, the Yankee organization, and the great fans of New York.”
The 29 year-old right-hander will collect $67 million over the next 3 years. Why did he not opt-out? Well, I do believe Tanaka when he stated in his announcement that he has enjoyed his 4 years in pinstripes, but in my opinion, the partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow was the main reason for his decision. He (and his agent) realized no team would risk signing a long term contract (4+ years) knowing of the torn UCL he suffered back in July of 2014, which was his first season with the Yankees.
Anyone who follows me on twitter remembers how disappointed I was that Masahiro decided not to get the TJ surgery back in 2014 when he was only 25 years old. I felt either A) the complete tear would eventually happen, or B) the Yankees would get a lesser version of the Japanese ace who exploded on the MLB scene with his un-hittable split-finger fastball and pinpoint control. In other words the Yanks would have to settle for “Tanaka-light” who would be brilliant at times but inconsistent, not reliable and always trying to manage and compensate for the right elbow.
Well, let’s take a look-back at his stats.
Prior to the pain in his elbow/forearm that lead to the MRI revealing the torn UCL
11-1 , 1.99 ERA .
Let me repeat that, Masahiro Tanaka started his MLB career 11-1, 1.99 ERA !!
He was 2-4 after the DL, making his stat line for 2014 13-5, 2.77 ERA
Since the beginning of 2015 he is 39-23, 3.76
In 2017 regular season 13-12, 4.74 ERA
The ERA has gone up since his injury, that is obvious, but , there have also been moments and stretches of absolute brilliance. That’s what frustrates me the most. I am a huge Tanaka fan and I believe he picks and chooses his spots to give it 100% depending on the level of discomfort he feels or the level of importance the game has. For example in the post-season Masahiro is 2-2 with a 1.44 ERA. And if that ERA is not impressive enough, how about this year’s post-season .. 2-1 , 0.90 ERA. It’s not just post-season that raises the level of importance in Tanaka’s mind. I can’t help but think of a regular season game back in June this year. June you say.. how can it be a big game in June ? It’s a big game when you are pitching against Yu Darvish for the first time in the MLB (they competed in the Nippon Baseball League) and you know it is a nationally televised game back in Japan. It didn’t matter that Tanaka went into the game with a bloated 6.34 ERA and wasn’t pitching well. Tanaka threw 8 scoreless innings that night, holding the Texas Rangers to 3 hits while striking-out 9, as the Yankees won 2-1 in 10 innings. A big game indeed, pitching for bragging rights back in your home country of Japan.
TANAKA DECIDES NOT TO …SPLIT:
He decided to stay. So now the question becomes, was it a good thing from a Yankee perspective that Tanaka did not opt-out ? All things considered you can make an argument both ways, but I would say ..yes. There are only 3 years left on the contract and he is only 29 years old. When it comes to 2018, let’s hope for a repeat of 2017. Up & down regular season followed by a post-season stat line of: 3 starts, 20 innings, 2 ER, 0HR, 3BB/18K, 0.90 ERA. Nothing has changed in my mind. We will get flashes of brilliance, especially in big games, but every time he takes the ball we will have hope that this is not the day the UCL tears completely. We continue to hold our breathe and .. Tanak on Wood.
So as of now the 2018 Starting rotation for the Yankees looks like …
Severino, Tanaka, Gray, Montgomery, & ?
That’s not a bad …Start.
? = CC, Otani, Adams, or other.
As always,
GO NYY !!
