Masahiro Tanaka Considered Offer From Houston Astros

Oh how the offseason, and Opening Day, for the New York Yankees could have been so much different. The Yankees ended up getting Masahiro Tanaka on a seven year deal worth $155 million, plus the $20 million posting fee, this offseason and really solidified a great offseason. The Yankees almost lost out on Tanaka's services to the team they are opening up against with this season, the Houston Astros.

The Astros offered Tanaka a deal reported over $100 million according to the Ultimate Astros blog. Tanaka admitted to thinking about joining the Astros, as well as the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Chicago White Sox before ultimately signing with New York.

Here is the direct quote from Tanaka, well Tanaka's translator anyway

“Including the Astros, all the teams that had interest in me, I really took it seriously,” Tanaka said Monday through a translator before the Yankees held a workout at Minute Maid Park. “And I thought about the possibility of going to each and every one of the organizations.”