NEW YORK _ By Masahiro Tanaka announced Friday night that he will not opt out of the final three years and $67 million remaining on his contract with the Yankees.
"I have decided to stay with the Yankees for the next three seasons. It was a simple decision for me as I have truly enjoyed the past four years playing for this organization and for the wonderful fans of New York," Tanaka said in a statement.
"I'm excited to continue to be a part of this team, and I'm committed to our goal of bringing a World Series Championship back to the Steinbrenner family, the Yankees organization, and the great fans of New York."
The 28-year-old righty went 13-12 with a 4.74 ERA and a career-high 35 homers allowed in the regular season. But in the playoffs, he posted a 0.90 ERA in three starts while surrendering zero homers.
Tanaka has been pitching with a partial UCL tear since 2014, yet he's managed to make 61 starts over the last two seasons.
The Yankees already have starters Luis Severino, Sonny Gray and Jordan Montgomery under contract for the 2018 season.
CC Sabathia, 37, now a free agent, could be a candidate to come back on a one-year deal, while the Yankees intend to pursue 23-year-old, Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani, assuming he's eligible to come over to the majors.
