Prior to the New York Yankees signing Masahiro Tanaka from the Rakuten Golden Eagles, a bone spur that was lodged in his pitching elbow nearly caused the Yankees to avoid signing him.
The physical revealed that it wouldn’t be an issue, and the Yankees eventually signed Tanaka to his seven-year/ $155 MM deal plus a $20 MM posting fee that was paid to the Golden Eagles.
Two years later, an MRI at the end of this season revealed that the bone spur had increased in size, and Tanaka told the Yankees medical staff that he wanted it removed.