Masahiro Tanaka: “There’s no place for him”…Masahiro Tanaka, who left Rakuten, “Hanshin and Seibu are reluctant to sign him”.

Masahiro Tanaka, 36, told the press on November 26 that he was leaving Rakuten because “I received an offer, but I thought there was practically no place for me.

Masahiro Tanaka (36), who spoke to the press on November 26, explained the reason for his decision to leave Rakuten.

Tanaka’s departure must have come as a shock to many baseball fans. Tanaka’s estimated salary for this season is 260 million yen plus piece-rates. Although the exact amount has not been disclosed, Rakuten is said to have offered a substantial salary cut that exceeded the reduction limit (40% for a salary over 100 million yen). Tanaka felt that he had no place in Rakuten’s dealings.

Since returning to Rakuten from the majors in 2009, he had won four, nine, and seven games, but this season he has won nothing, so he was on a downward spiral. In his 20s, Tanaka was a hard-hitting pitcher who pushed hard with his fastball (nearly 160 km/h), but in recent years, the power of his fastball has been diminishing. In recent years, however, the power of his fastball has been diminishing, and he has been getting hit hard by the changeable pitches he throws in his struggles.

On the other hand, Tanaka himself probably believes that he can still play an active role as a starter. He has pitched a lot for the second team this season, but he has always said, “I want to pitch like I’m back. The fact that he is only three wins away from 200 wins in Japan and the U.S. seems to be a big motivation for him. There was a gap between Rakuten and Tanaka’s thoughts.

Former Rakuten teammate becomes pitching coach

After leaving Rakuten, Tanaka began to look for a new place to play.

However, it does not look like he will be able to find a new club easily. Yakult was reportedly interested at one point, but on November 28, GM Junji Ogawa said, “We are not at the stage of investigating to acquire him. Hanshin, Seibu, and Nippon Ham are also said to be reluctant to acquire him.

Most people think that Tanaka has passed his peak, and it would be difficult to expect him to perform at a salary of 200 million yen or more,” said a reporter for a sports newspaper.

Tanaka is in a difficult situation, but there is a surprising team that is rumored to be interested in acquiring him.

Chunichi is one team that is rumored to be interested in acquiring Tanaka. Chunichi acquired Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2006, who, like Tanaka, returned to Japan from the majors and finished with no wins for Softbank. While most people were negative about Matsuzaka, saying he would never make it, he won six games that year. He has a track record of reviving the team with flying colors. If Tanaka can do the same, he can be a catalyst for a team that has finished in last place for three consecutive years.

Chunichi would be a good match for Tanaka. It is encouraging that Shinichiro Koyama, a former teammate and good friend of Tanaka’s from Rakuten, is the pitching coach, and Hideaki Wakui is still working hard. In addition to having a small number of starting pitchers to begin with, there is also the risk of Koji Fukutani leaving the team as an FA. If he accepts a certain amount of salary reduction, I think Chunichi is a team that has the potential for a “Ma-kun revival.

Tanaka has chosen to leave Rakuten, where he had been a member for many years. Whether he will be able to find a new home is still uncertain.