With Tanaka sidelined with a partially torn ligament in his pitching arm and possibly facing Tommy John surgery after just 18 games with the Yankees, after they invested $175 million to acquire him, there is no doubt that the appeal of fresh and polished product like Otani would reduce the anxiety for MLB teams.
Tanaka pitched 1,315 innings in his seven seasons with the Eagles, after being used heavily during his high school days at Tomakomai High School in Hokkaido.
The GM says that signing Otani over a veteran pitcher is a case of “possibility and probability — money versus injury.” “He will be valued higher than Fernandez,” believes the GM. “I would say close to the Clayton Kershaw level. I think something like $200 million for 10 years is realistic.”