TAMPA — Add Andruw Jones to the list of people who say any comparisons between Rangers ace Yu Darvish and coveted Japanese free agent Masahiro Tanaka are misguided.
“He didn’t strike a lot of people out like Darvish,” said Jones, the longtime Brave and former Yankees outfielder. “He pitched more to contact. He wanted to get guys to hit balls on the ground.”
Jones came away impressed by Tanaka after spending a season playing together for Rakuten in Japan.
“He can overpower and he can control,” Jones said. “He’s a very competitive guy.”
The Yankees and Dodgers are largely considered to be the favorites to land Tanaka, who has until Jan. 24 to sign with a major league team. As many as a dozen teams are interested in Tanaka, who figures to get a contract worth at least $100 million over six years, as well as a posting fee of $20 million. Jones sounded confident the 25-year-old would do well wherever he winds up.
“His record speaks for itself,” said Jones, referring to Tanaka going 24-0 in 2013. “All he’s done for Japan, I think it’s enough. He was the best pitcher the last two years in Japan. It’s time for him to come to the States and show what he’s got in the major leagues.”
Jones, who is heading back to Rakuten for another season, wasn’t able to compare Tanaka to anyone in the majors, but said he had spoken with Tanaka about the differences between the leagues.
“He asked me a few questions about baseball over here,” said Jones, who was at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Wednesday at a fundraiser for Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation. “He’s got great talent. Baseball is baseball, anywhere you play it. It’s a higher level in Major League Baseball, but if you’re successful you can make the adjustment faster.”
And Tanaka’s famous splitter should help.
“He has a very good split-finger,” Jones said. “And he started working on a changeup toward the end of the season. He’s a tremendous fielder. If he does all those things, he’s got a good chance. The first year is gonna be a little different. The adjustment is up to him.”