When Casey McGehee watched Masahiro Tanaka throw 160 pitches in Game 6 of last year’s Japan Series and then ask for the ball again during the decisive Game 7 the next day, the former Yankee was reminded of an old teammate.
“He was kind of like CC Sabathia that year in Milwaukee when he kept going out there and we all knew what he had on the line,” McGehee said by phone Wednesday after the Yankees signed Tanaka to a seven-year, $155 million deal.
“Tanaka was the same way,” McGehee said. “He had no concern for his future. He was just worried about the team winning and wanted to do literally everything he could do to make it happen. He put it all on himself. Fans in New York are going to love that about him.”
McGehee, who played with Tanaka last season during his remarkable 24-0 campaign, believes the 25-year-old will thrive in The Bronx.
“I think he wanted the biggest stage,” said McGehee, who signed with the Marlins this offseason. “The only conversation I had with him about coming to the States, I asked him where he wanted to go. And he would only say he wanted to go somewhere he could win. I don’t think it was all about money to him. Although I’m sure it helped.”
So now that we know where Tanaka will pitch this season, the next question is: How will he do in New York.
As Andruw Jones — another former Rakuten teammate — and others who have seen Tanaka up close have said, the Japanese right-hander does not compare to Texas ace Yu Darvish. But that’s not entirely a bad thing.
“Darvish is bigger and throws harder, but they’re different pitchers,” said one scout who has watched Tanaka. “Tanaka isn’t trying to be Darvish.”
While the consensus around baseball is Tanaka — unlike Darvish — isn’t going to be an ace, he has good enough stuff and an attitude that will let him succeed in the majors.
“I think what can’t be overstated is the fact that they’ve got him at 25,” said one agent. “That’s not just unusual for a Japanese pitcher coming to the majors, it’s unusual for any free agent. It’s like the Yankees had a real good, young pitcher and they locked him up before he got to free agency.”
And since the Yankees have an alarming lack of even decent young pitchers in their system, it’s easy to see why they made such a push for someone who is completely untested in the majors.
Brad Eldred spent parts of four seasons in the majors and the last two with Hiroshima. He faced Tanaka prior to the World Baseball Classic last spring and echoed what others have been impressed by with the right-hander.
“He’s got that great splitter, throws hard and has that bull mentality,” said Eldred, who managed to get a double off Tanaka. “Every team was gunning for him last year and every time he pitched it was a huge deal so I can’t imagine him getting more attention than he did in Japan.”
McGehee agreed.
“I actually think he’ll be fine in New York,” McGehee said. “You have no idea how much the spotlight was on him last year. Whatever you think about New York, it can’t compare to what he got in Japan.”