Tanaka goes with the Yanks

[BeyondGeography]

The Yankees got the pitcher they desperately needed Wednesday, agreeing to a seven-year, $155-million contract with Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka, a move that probably makes them the winners of the baseball off-season and ends any chance they stay under the $189 million luxury tax payroll threshold.

The Daily News confirmed the move with an executive aware of the agreement. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal first reported the Yanks' big get.

"He wanted to be a Yankee," a baseball official familiar with the agreement said.

The Yanks beat out the Dodgers for Tanaka, according to one source, and neither deep-pocketed team was the high bidder the source said. The Cubs apparently offered an eight-year contract worth $24-25 million, the source said. Tanaka, a 25-year-old righty, went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA for the Rakuten Golden Eagles last season and his club won the Japan Series.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/tanaka-yankees-agree-155m-deal-article-1.1587478#ixzz2r9PV1KEX

[hrmjustin]

1. Wow that is a lot of money.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Lol...but he followed his heart

The Cubs offered even more. Not that great principle is involved when you're talking 22 million or 25 million per...

Sounds like an interesting pitcher. Should be fun to watch.

[hrmjustin]

3. I am a Mets fan but I wish th Yanks well.

[BeyondGeography]

4. The death of the old Stadium will cause me never-ending pain

Just dreadful. But I love watching a good pitcher at work, wherever he happens to play.

[hrmjustin]

5. Yeah I miss Shea Stadium.

I went to a lot of games as a kid.

[Sassysdad]

6. My 1 sports regret..

never making it to the Old Yankee Stadium,

[BeyondGeography]

7. It was built for old America

Most of the seats were upstairs, where people could afford to pay for them, because most people don't have that much money...go figure. Of course, these are the most passionate, best informed fans as well. Plus they were pretty good seats; the upper deck of the old Stadium hung right over just about all of the lower decks and was close to the field, so visiting teams could actually be intimidated on a full-house night. And it was a blast; some of the fondest memories I will ever have of New York. The fans were hopelessly partisan for the most part, but informed and very often funny as hell. And loud...we used to make that baby shake.

Last time I went to the new park it cost me $90 for a bleeder seat. The upper deck has been reduced markedly in size and set way back from the field to make way for Wall St. seats, which are very often empty and/or filled with people who aren't that into it, to be charitable. Just a bad scene/nothing you can do about it.

[rurallib]

8. $22mill/32 starts = 687000 per start

who knows how much per inning?
Why do I not care about pro sports?