Questions about payroll, free agent shortstops, Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo were all expected when Brian Cashman spoke at the MLB GM Meetings earlier this offseason. One inquiry Keena Turner Jersey that stood out, however, concerned Masahiro Tanaka.Cashman was asked if the door was open for a potential reunion with the right-handed pitcher. Without getting into specifics, the Yankees general manager , "Whatever's available in the open market is something we'll be forced to evaluate."Fast forward to December and Tanaka is not available. Rather, he is returning to theTohoku Rakuten Golden Eaglesof Japan's Deebo Samuel Jersey Nippon Profe sional Baseball, . Word broke Friday morning with Major League Baseballs lockout still fresh in the news.Tanaka spent seven seasons with the Yankees from 2014-2020. He initially left the Golden Eagles after seven seasons to sign a seven-year, $155 million contract with New York. Tanaka San Francisco 49Ers Hats went back to Rakuten last offseason on a two-year deal. The contract included an opt-out, and Tanaka spoke of in the majors, leaving some to wonder if the 33-year-old could rejoin the Yankees this winter after the team declined to rule the po sibility out previously. Tanaka was a popular player during Patrick Willis Jersey his time in the Bronx, and New York has stated a desire to bolster its rotation.However, Tanaka would not have been able to negotiate with MLB teams until a new CBA was agreed to, leaving him with little choice this winter.Scroll to ContinueTanaka made 23 appearances in his homecoming season, totaling a 3.01 ERA over 155.2 innings for Rakuten. He also represented Japan in the Tokyo Olympics. As a Yankee, he went 78-46 with a 3.74 ERA over 1054.1 innings.It is unclear where Tanaka would prefer to pitch, if at all, after the San Francisco 49Ers Home Office 2022 season.MORE: