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Masahiro Tanaka's looming opt-out shades Yankees' pitching plans

To understand why the New York Yankees may end up being the free-agent winners for someone like lefty Rich Hill, it is best to hop in the DeLorean, pump it up to 88 mph and fast-forward to a year from now.

At that time, Masahiro Tanaka will most certainly be a dilemma for the Yankees. If Tanaka repeats his 14-4, 3.07 ERA season, he most assuredly will opt out or threaten to opt out, leveraging a clause in Year 4 of his seven-year, $155 million contract. If Tanaka struggles in 2017 or, worse, is severely injured, then he likely would stay on to finish out the final three seasons of his deal.