MLB Rumors: Masahiro Tanaka To Meet With Multiple Teams Over Next Few Days; Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers And Rangers Among Clubs Interested

Set to begin his scheduled meetings with multiple MLB clubs, Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is expected to be extremely busy over the next few weeks. With the Jan. 24 deadline approaching -- the date Tanaka and agent Casey Close must have a contract and physical with a team complete -- a laundry list of potential suitors are positioning themselves financially for what is expected to be an intense battle for the top free agent pitcher on the market. Tanaka finished last season in the Pacific League with an unblemished 24-0 record and a sterling 1.27 ERA for the Rakuten Golden Eagles and now that he is ready to take his game to the United States, many of the usual free agent giants are coming his way.

Teams interested in the 25-year-old include the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, but many believe the Yankees and Mariners are the two likeliest landing spots. Now that he knows he’ll become part of the Major League Baseball spotlight, Masahiro Tanaka is taking his time researching the various teams and cities interested in his services. Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti, who has a solid relationship with Casey Close, said negotiations between both parties take time because it’s a tremendous decision for all those involved.

“I talked to Casey as soon as they announced he was going to be posted and as soon as they announced Casey would represent him,” Colletti told ESPN recently. “Obviously, Casey and I go back quite a while. They're in a feeling-out process. They're trying to learn about different cities, different teams, different markets, how teams are constructed going forward. You know, it's a big decision for the player too, so we've had those types of conversations and we'll continue to see where it goes.”

With multiple holes to fill in their pitching rotation, the New York Yankees appear to be a strong candidate for Tanaka since they hold a severe need for the righty and the substantial amount of funds it will take to land the him. The club that eventually signs the Japanese ace will need to pay a posting fee of $20 million, and while that may not seem like a whole lot to many ball clubs, Tanaka is said to be seeking a contract that will pay him roughly $100 million over six years.

New York has just three guarantees in the rotation with CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Hiroki Kuroda but the acquisition of Masahiro Tanaka could go a long way in helping New York compete in the tough American League East, especially when you factor in his young age and tremendous success in a Japanese league that garners loads of attention from fans.