Report: Tanaka Will Cost A Minimum Of $17 Million Per Year
NEW YORK (CBSNEWYORK) -- Japanese Ace Masahiro Tanaka will command an annual salary of at least $17 million per season, according to USA Today baseball columnist Bob Nightengale.
The maximum posting fee for Tanaka will be $20 million and many teams are expected to meet that fee.
In 2013, the highly-coveted 25-year-old went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA as a member of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Teams desperate for a potential ace and a star attraction in Tanaka to bring a wave of excitement to their ballpark. A bidding war could push Tanaka's total salary above $100 million.
The 30-day posting period began on Thursday. Nearly every MLB team that considers themselves a contender are expected to meet the $20 million posting fee and make their pitches to Tanaka.
Among suitors are the Yankees, who are looking to upgrade their rotation following down years from CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda. The Bombers lost dependable lefty Andy Pettitte through retirement.
Sabathia went 14-13 with a bloated 4.78 ERA in 2013. Perhaps, the Bombers will be desperate to land Tanaka to lead their rotation in 2014.
Tanaka is a 2.30 ERA pitcher in seven seasons in Japanese baseball.
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