Report: Arizona Diamondbacks offer Masahiro Tanaka 6-year, $120M contract
Jan 19, 2014, 1:56 AM | Updated: 1:56 am
The Arizona Diamondbacks have offered Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka a six-year contract worth almost $120 million, according to Japanese media outlet Nikkan Sports.
(Note: The link is in Japanese.)
The report says the Diamondbacks offered Tanaka a six-year contract worth 12 billion yen — a little more than $115 million, based on current exchange rates. According to the report, all offers have been worth at least $100 million over six years.
The report says that Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick and president and CEO Derrick Hall met with Tanaka, who went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA with the Rakuten Golden Eagles last season.
The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs have all made formal offers, according to the report.
The 25-year-old Tanaka has until Jan. 24 to pick a team, and whichever team he chooses will pay $20 million to Rakuten, according to Major League Baseball’s new posting rules.
