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| Masahiro Tanaka (Photo By KYODO) |
Multiple reports suggest that the crafty owner of
the Rakuten Golden Eagles may be delaying his decision on highly-touted pitcher Masahiro Tanaka to maximize the hype—
and the number and size of the posting fees. While Tanaka has asked to be posted for availability by MLB teams, Rakuten's owner has sent mixed signals about his intentions. The Golden Eagles just signed former Red Sox icon
Kevin Youkilis to a one-year deal and are coming off a
Nippon Professional Baseball league championship. The latest word is that the decision could come down on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day—partly to enhance the eventual dollar-to-yen exchange rate on the (minimum) $20 million posting fees.
The Evil Ones are poised to overpay both Rakuten and Tanaka as they desperately try to bolster their AAA-like rotation.
