Former starting pitcher told reporters that he wanted to re-sign with the Bronx Bombers this offseason. However, he decided to return to Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan after it was clear the Yanks had moved on.
"When I became a free agent, honestly I wanted to sign another contract with Yankees and play there," Tanaka said, per Jason Coskrey of the Japan Times (h/t Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com).
"Then as I heard different things, I thought I might have to take a different road and considered various things."
Tanaka pitched in New York from 2014 to 2020, going 78-46 with a 3.