MLB

Not all Yankees brass sold on Tanaka

TAMPA — The Yankees have their sights set on Masahiro Tanaka and nothing figures to change that until the Japanese star finds a home in the majors.

Still, the team’s single-mindedness toward adding Tanaka to its rotation doesn’t mean everyone in the organization is sold on him.

“Just because he had great success over there doesn’t mean he’s going to be lights out here,” one official said. “We’ll find out soon enough, but it’s not like he’s a sure-fire thing. I’d like to think so, but I’m not convinced.”

But he’s enough of a solid bet the Yankees have done little more than check in on free-agent starters such as Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana. The organization remains unimpressed with this free-agent class of starters, including Matt Garza and Bronson Arroyo.

Though there are different views of just how good Tanaka can be in the majors, there is a unanimous consensus the rotation needs an upgrade to go along with CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Hiroki Kuroda.

After watching the Yankees spend freely to sign Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran, rival executives don’t believe they are done.

“If you don’t get Tanaka, it kind of nullifies some of what you’ve added to the offense,” one AL official said. “Anything is possible, but I’m sure they really don’t want to lose [Tanaka].”

Thanks to the savings they got from Alex Rodriguez’s suspension, the Yankees have all the more reason to go hard after Tanaka, even with the goal of staying under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold.

With a deadline of Jan. 24 looming, many believe Tanaka and agent Casey Close will wait until that date approaches before making a deal, letting the Yankees, Dodgers and any other teams that choose to stay in the fray drive the price up.


The five Yankees eligible for arbitration all filed Tuesday: David Robertson, Brett Gardner, Ivan Nova, Francisco Cervelli and Shawn Kelley. The sides will exchange figures Friday. Gardner could still end up being traded if the Yankees fail to land Tanaka and decide to move the outfielder for a starting pitcher. … The signing of Brian Roberts was announced by the Yankees Tuesday. The deal is worth $2 million and can more than double with incentives. With Alex Rodriguez on the restricted list, their 40-man roster is full.