The Yankees and other major league teams will be allowed to pursue stud Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.
Yozo Tachinaba, the president of the Rakuten Golden Eagles, said Wednesday morning he will post Tanaka, making the right-hander available to all 30 major league teams.
Tachinaba, according to reports, had earlier been leaning toward keeping Tanaka.
The Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Cubs are among the teams expected to heavily pursue the Japanese ace.
“I’m grateful to the team for allowing me to try. Now I’ve made a first step,” Tanaka said. “I hope I would receive offers from as many teams as possible so I have a wider option.”
Under a new system implemented this year, every team that meets the posting fee — capped at $20 million — will be able to negotiate with Tanaka.
Several teams are expected to hit the $20 million ceiling, then Tanaka is expected to receive a deal that exceeds $100 million.
The posting fee would not count against teams’ luxury tax payroll.
He would fill a need with the Yankees, who have a gaping hole in their rotation following Andy Pettitte’s retirement. CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Ivan Nova are the known components of the Yankees’ rotation.
Depending on the arbitrator’s ruling on Alex Rodriguez’s Biogenesis suspension, the Yankees would be in position to surpass $189 million in payroll for 2014 if they were to add Tanaka, pushing them past the luxury tax threshold they have hoped to avoid.
The team has been busy this offseason, with the signings of Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Matt Thornton, Brian Roberts and Kuroda to long-term contracts totaling $308 million.
Under the previous agreement, which began in 1998 and ran through last offseason, there was no cap on bidding and only the highest bidder could negotiate with the player.
Boston obtained pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka from the Seibu Lions before the 2007 season for $51,111,111.11, and agreed to a $52 million, six-year contract. Texas got pitcher Yu Darvish from the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters before the 2012 season for $51,703,411 and gave him a $56 million, six-year deal.
The 25-year-old Tanaka went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last season for the Golden Eagles.
Tachibana said the team took into consideration Tanaka’s “outstanding contribution to the team” since he joined the Eagles seven years ago.