Masahiro Tanaka
Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is likely to return to Japan with his wage demands unlikely to be considered by MLB teams. (Photo: Arturo Pardavila III (Wikimedia Commons) | (Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 2.0))

Masahiro Tanaka is left in a tight spot as he continues to wait on offers. The Japanese pitcher is not expected to return to the New York Yankees who have taken in Corey Klubber in the offseason.

Tanaka had a subpar performance with the Yankees last MLB season and is currently scouring free agency. He is seeking a one-year deal but his financial demands could turn some teams off. According to SNY, Tanaka wants a one-year deal worth roughly $15 to 20 million.

Tanaka appeared in 10 games during the shortened 2020 campaign and finished with a 3.56 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 48.0 innings. Compared to his 2019 showing, these were better numbers. He posted a 4.45 ERA in 32 games.

   

The effort was seen as part of Tanaka’s push to show other teams that he remains deadly. Two teams have been linked to him in the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets. Unfortunately, talks have not gone that smoothly with the Padres. As for the Mets, their level of interest is not considered that serious.

The Japanese player is only 32-years-old and can continue to wait. If he fails to get a call, an option would be for him to return to Japan where his financial demands could be met. One team where he could end up is his former team, the Rakuten Eagles.

Another option is for Tanaka to lower his contract demands. The one-year deal is tempting but seeking a big payday may not be suited at this point.

Also worth considering is that the Yankees have been linked to several other players. That list includes DJ LeMahieu. Also, other teams may not consider Tanaka as their immediate target until after Trevor Bauer.

Hence, all the Japanese can do right now is play the waiting game. He does not have the luxury of time and the only sensible route is to head back to Japan where teams are likely to give him the money he wants.

In related Yankees news, Clint Frazier found his name erroneously in the MLB trade rumor mill. Last weekend, a report came out claiming that the Yankees dealt Frazier along with third baseman Miguel Andujar to the Reds for star pitcher Luis Castillo.

The claim was denied and Frazier responded by tweeting the expletive-filled “I’m not leaving” scene from the 2013 film “Wolf of Wall Street.”