Report: Formal offers made for Tanaka, Blue Jays not among them

Masahiro Tanaka delivers a pitch in the WBC vs Cuba. Mandatory Credit: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images AsiaPac

According to a report out of Japan from Nikkan Sports (h/t MLB Trade Rumors), five teams have made formal offers to Masahiro Tanaka and the Toronto Blue Jays are not among them.

The reports indicates that it’s the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox who are prepared to duke it out for Tanaka’s services.

Rumours are circulating all over the place about what each team’s offer could be but for now it appears the Blue Jays have decided to sit this one out. Tanaka could become a legitimate frontline starting pitcher but after taking a risk that hasn’t worked out yet just last off-season I don’t think GM Alex Anthopoulos is in a great position to make a nine-figure commitment to any player, let alone a relatively unknown one.

I like how Anthopoulos didn’t just make an offer for the sake of making an offer. Although we’ve had little to write about this winter I think the Tanaka saga has dragged on for fans in Toronto long enough. Whether or not this means AA is looking elsewhere is an unknown as he appears to be comfortable waiting out the market in hopes that a bargain bestows upon him as we creep closer and closer to spring training.