A report out of Japan on Sunday revealed that the Angels, Yankees, and Dodgers are three finalists to land the Japanese pitcher.
If you thought Arte Moreno & Co. learned their lesson spending wildly the previous two offseasons, you are wrong. Sports Hochi in Japan is reporting that after traveling to the United States this week, pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has narrowed down his interest to the Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Unfortunately for the Chicago White Sox, Tanaka did not include them in the list even after confirming their meeting.
The Japanese pitcher reportedly met with twelve teams in Los Angeles during his visit, flying back to Japan yesterday. Why the Halos? Well, Arte Moreno is probably ready to open the checkbook (again) since the team could use another starting pitcher. I guess Mark Mulder isn't enough. And Tanaka apparently prefers Los Angeles' diversity.
The sole favorite to score Tanaka are the Yankees. With Alex Rodriguez not being a factor for 2014 and perhaps beyond, the Bronx Bombers could spend on him while still flying under the luxury tax limit. But then again, do the Yanks really care about that?
Source:Sports Hochi