For his second act as a Yankee, D.J. LeMahieu began with a goodbye. Meeting with reporters Thursday to discuss his new six-year, $90 million contract, LeMahieu opened with a statement on Masahiro Tanaka, who announced his departure on Thursday morning.
“Just wanted to mention what a great teammate he’s been, what an impact he’s had on the Yankees and the city,” LeMahieu said over Zoom. “As exciting as it is, I’m disappointed I’m not going to be able to play with him anymore.”
Tanaka returned to Japan to rejoin the Rakuten Golden Eagles, the team he led to a championship in 2013 before signing with the Yankees.