New York Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka Wisely Will Not Pitch in World Baseball Classic

New York Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka has announced that he won’t be pitching in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Is this the right move?

New York Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka has been able to pitch extremely well for the team despite having a ticking time bomb for an elbow. After being diagnosed with a partially torn UCL in his pitching elbow, Tanaka has been able to avoid the dreaded Tommy John surgery.

After being limited due to injuries in his first two seasons, Tanaka was able to pitch nearly 200 innings for the Yankees last season. Tanaka was without a doubt the ace of the staff for the Yankees, as he totaled a 14-4 record, 3.07 ERA, and 165 strikeouts.

Even though playing for his country is something that he has done before, Tanaka is making the wise decision not to pitch this year.

Tanaka said to Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News “taking various things into consideration, it would be difficult so I will not participate.”

Tanaka making the decision not to pitch likely has a lot to do with the upcoming season for the Yankees. After the 2017 season, Tanaka has the option to opt out of his contract and become a free agent. Considering he be under 30 years-old at that time, he could be poised for another massive contract.

In recent years, pitchers like Zack Greinke and David Price have received massive contracts. This is something that Tanaka likely sees as a possibility for him as well.  However, he will have to stay healthy and pitch well in 2017.

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Protecting his arm from unnecessary innings in the World Baseball Classic is the right move for Tanaka. Also, it is a move that the Yankees will certainly love to hear.