<figure id="attachment_402719" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-402719" style="width: 2806px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="274df7e9"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/d35098f3a08cb47eb3b23b38bfa33167.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-402719" class="wp-caption-text">When interviewed by the press, he replied, &#8220;There&#8217;s no place for it.</figcaption></figure>
<h2> Ability is not the issue.</h2>
<p> Former Rakuten pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, 36, is on a rocky road as he seeks to join another team as a free agent after being removed from the roster of players with pending contracts for 2013.</p>
<p> Tanaka&#8217;s contract renewal negotiations with the team broke down after he was offered a large pay cut that exceeded the reduction limit in the baseball agreement (40% for annual salaries over 100 million yen).</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> On November 24, Tanaka spoke on his official YouTube channel about the circumstances surrounding his departure from the team, with tears of regret in his eyes. However, it was the day of the finals of the Premier 12 tournament, in which the Samurai Japan team was competing. The team executives and NPB officials said, &#8220;He&#8217;s still a guy who can&#8217;t read the atmosphere. He is not a bad person, but he loses popularity in that way.</span></p>
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<p> Tanaka has accumulated 197 wins in Japan and the U.S., and is only three wins away from reaching the milestone of 200 wins. However, due to the wishes of former manager Toshiaki Imae (41), he appeared in only one game for the first team this season.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Some media outlets have written bitterly that he has &#8220;peaked out,&#8221; but he still has the ability and the chance to win as a starting pitcher if he wants to. There is another reason why it has been difficult for baseball teams to acquire him after he became a free agent. It is not a question of his ability as a player.</span></p>
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<p> It is said to be related to the major problem that rocked the baseball world last offseason. A senior executive of a Pacific League baseball team said in a hushed voice, &#8220;Power harassment among players has been uncovered.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> A senior executive of a Pacific League team said in a low voice, &#8220;A key pitcher was fired after power harassment among players was discovered, and apparently Tanaka was also involved in power harassment along with the pitcher. It was revealed by &#8220;tip-offs&#8221; from players who were victims of the harassment and those who witnessed it. &#8230;&#8230; If this is true, it is no wonder that the team is hesitant to acquire Tanaka, no matter how talented he may be. I&#8217;m not sure how much I&#8217;d like to see him in the future. Even if they wanted him, they couldn&#8217;t get him.</span></p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Even Ma-kun is nervous."></div>
<h2>For a freebie, go to &#8230;&#8230;.&#8221;</h2>
<p> Tanaka&#8217;s side seems to be quite nervous about the power harassment issue.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In November of this year, he held a children&#8217;s baseball school in Sendai for the first time, and his wife, Mai Satoda (40), supported him behind the scenes. His wife, TV personality Mai Satoda (40), also supported the event behind the scenes. Rumor has it that the event was held to dispel bad impressions.</span></p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> This season, Tanaka often uploaded photos of his dinners with his juniors on SNS, appealing to his seniors that he takes good care of them.</span><span class="strongInContent"> If he had a big manager who could tell off problem children like he used to, he might have been taken in. &#8230;&#8230;</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Some sports papers reported that &#8220;Yakult is looking into acquiring him,&#8221; but it seems unlikely. He will show that he has changed his mind, and will make a sales pitch, saying, &#8220;I don&#8217;t care if it&#8217;s a free salary. It is difficult to get him unless he makes a pitching pitch, saying, &#8216;I don&#8217;t care if I get a free salary, I want to make a comeback.</span></p>
<p> No matter how big a pitcher you are, if you don&#8217;t get an offer, you have no choice but to retire. Will there be a team that is willing to pick up chestnuts from the fire? &#8230;&#8230;</p>
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 Kyodo News

 Masahiro Tanaka, 36, of the Rakuten baseball team, is on a rocky road as he seeks to join another team as a free agent after being left off the roster pending his contract for 2013. There seems to be a "rumor" behind his failure to find a team that wants to acquire him.

Masahiro Tanaka&#8217;s transfer is hopeless, and the executives of the Central and Pacific League baseball teams have &#8220;true feelings&#8221; about it.

Masahiro Tanaka’s transfer is hopeless, and the executives of the Central and Pacific League baseball teams have “true feelings” about it.

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