Masahiro Tanaka’s time with the Yankees officially appears over.
The Rakuten Eagles, the Japanese team Tanaka starred with before coming to The Bronx in 2014, announced his signing on Twitter. The terms of the deal are unknown.
“WELCOME HOME our HERO!!!!” the team wrote on Twitter.
This split seemed inevitable as the offseason went on, particularly with the Yankees signing former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber to a one-year, $11 million deal. The Yankees are determined not to go over the $210 million luxury tax threshold this offseason, leaving them little wiggle room for signings outside of DJ LeMahieu.
“I hope everybody is keeping safe during these challenging times,” Tanaka wrote on Twitter. “I wanted to reach out to you because I have made a decision on where I will be playing this coming season.i have decided to return to Japan and play for the Rakuten Eagles for the 2021 season.
“I wanted to make sure and touch base with you, and thank you for all the love and support you have given me for the past 7 seasons. I feel extremely fortunate for having the opportunity to take the field as a member of the New York Yankees, and play in front of all you passionate fans. It has been an honor and a privilege! Thank you so much!!”
Tanaka, 32, came to the Yankees with a much-ballyhooed seven-year, $155 million deal. While he never quite became the ace the Yankees envisioned, he had seven solid seasons for the franchise and often saved his best performances for the postseason.
He finishes his Yankees career 78-46 with a 3.74 ERA.
Rakuten general manager Kazuhisa Ishii called Tanaka’s signing “very special.”
