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How the Yankees got Masahiro Tanaka, and what he'll really cost

The Yankees understand all the risks. But Tanaka is worth all the risks and the money on the chance that he comes close to doing what Yu Darvish has done for
Tom Verducci|

The Yankees understand all the risks. But Tanaka is worth all the risks and the money on the chance that he comes close to doing what Yu Darvish has done for the Rangers. Largely because of a barren farm system, the Yankees knew they could not field a playoff contender in the AL East this year for less than $189 million. A declining CC Sabathia and an aging Hiroki Kuroda offered too much uncertainty in the front of the rotation. The Yankees were not willing to accept the likelihood of punting another season for tax purposes. And so they obtained a 25-year-old pitcher in the prime of his career who brings stuff and celebrity to their brand. Time will tell if it was money well spent, but for the Yankees, it was money they needed to spend to stay within striking distance of the Red Sox and Rays.

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Tom Verducci
TOM VERDUCCI

Tom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.

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