When Masahiro Tanaka was asked in early February if he was considering opting out of his seven-year, $155 million contract with the Yankees this upcoming offseason, his answer wasn’t a no. But it also wasn’t a yes.
Instead, he told reporters that his future in New York wasn’t on his mind, and that his goal was to focus solely on the 2017 campaign. “When the time comes after the season, then I’ll probably have a chance to think about that more,” Tanaka said.
Well, that was the safe answer. And probably the right answer. But the time for Tanaka to weigh his options as a major league starter has come slightly ahead of schedule, and quite frankly, he can blame himself for that.