TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 11: Masahiro Tanaka #19 of the New York Yankees waves to fans as he leaves the field following a 1-0 victory in MLB action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on August 11, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
Masahiro Tanaka’s New York Yankees reunion went from feeling like an inevitability entering 2020 to seeming impossible when the season concluded.
From his tear-streaked farewell after his final regular season start to a cold silence after the year concluded, nobody really believed Tanaka would return when the emotions kicked in, and his return to Japan felt like a sappy consolation prize for many Yankees fans.