Even before Robinson Cano left for Seattle, one of the Yankees' biggest needs this offseason was pitching. Especially a solid starting pitcher to insert behind CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Hiroki Kuroda. Most just assumed that pitcher would be Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka. Then they changed the posting system, and whether or not Tanaka was even coming to America became a question.
Well, Rakuten has finally posted Tanaka, and the Yankees need to be the team that wins his services. Even if it means going over this self-imposed $189 million salary cap, getting Tanaka is an absolute must. This is a potential ace, and the available pitching talent via free agency is significantly weaker. If they don't get him, they'll have to make a trade (which might be why they're still hanging on to Gardner.)
The Yankees have been hesitant to jump into the mix on these big-name international free agents ever since their epic failures on Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa. (Although, it should be noted, they also struck gold with Hideki Matsui.) As a result, they missed out on Aroldis Chapman and Yoenis Cespedes and Yu Darvish. But these are the Yankees. They've become pretty well-known for going all-in on free agents they really want. And that's certainly the case here. Because they need a starting pitcher. Big time. And they know Tanaka's the best one available.
It's pretty clear why the Yankees want Tanaka. He went 24-0 last season, as Rakuten won its first Japan Series title. Oh yeah, he's only 25 years old and has been a pro since he was 18. From what all the scouts say, Tanaka is the real deal. All the more reason to make sure he's wearing Yankee Pinstripes in 2014.
Heading into the offseason, a lot of people assumed that was going to be a mere formality. The Yankees would make an offer that blew everyone else out of the water, and that posting fee wouldn't count against the $189 million. Then they changed the posting system. Now it's $20 million up front, and everybody's allowed to talk to him, with the player then deciding where he wants to go. Suddenly, it's not automatic that he's going to be a Yankee. And they've also gone from very little of the actual money counting to almost all of it counting. Doesn't matter. Getting Tanaka should still be the utmost priority.
For a team that needs to fill at least two holes in its rotation, getting a starter is paramount. The free agent starting pitchers out there include the likes of Bronson Arroyo and Matt Garza. Both are quality, middle-of-the-rotation Major League starters. But neither one is an ace. From all indications, Masahiro Tanaka is. He could be the difference-maker the Yankees need.
The last time the Yankees missed the playoffs, they made a splash in free agency, singing CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixiera. The result was their most recent World Series title in 2009. So far this offseason, they've been just as aggressive, picking up Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury. They also lost Robinson Cano, a loss they think they can overcome. The rotation, though, can't be patched together so easily. And Andy Pettitte isn't coming back this time. You can only coax a guy out of retirement so many times.
One of their problems in 2008 was that they were banking on Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy anchoring the rotation. We all saw how well that worked. None of the three is even on the Yankees anymore (and good riddance to the two who just left). The bargain-basement additions of Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia worked out, for the most part, in 2011...until they didn't in 2012. Going back even further, remember names like Javier Vazquez, Carl Pavano and Kevin Brown? Well, barring a Gardner-for-starter trade, a Tanaka-less rotation would feature some combination of David Phelps, David Huff, Adam Warren, Vidal Nuno and Michael Pineda behind Sabathia, Nova and Kuroda (who they were lucky to get back for another year). It could be like that all over again.
I'm not saying Masahiro Tanaka is a can't-miss free agent. What I am saying is that he's worth the risk. Because, on paper, a Yankees team with Masahiro Tanaka is better than one without him. So, regardless of what it costs and who else is in the mix, the Yankees have to do everything in their power to make sure Tanaka's pitching in the Bronx in 2014 and beyond.
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