SnakeBytes: The Last of Tanaka

From the D-backs side

• [Fox Sports] D-backs lose out on Tanaka, but not from lack of trying "We're disappointed to lose him. We had a very nice encounter. We made a very, very significant offer," Ken Kendrick said. "I knew going in if he was going to go to the highest bidder, he wouldn't go to the Diamondbacks... "We have declared ourselves as committed to making a very significant offer to someone who can be a difference-maker to our club. It may not come tomorrow. But there will be others. The agent world understands that if we like a player, we will go after him. I don't think that's a bad thing."
• [MLB] Diamondbacks went all-in to try to woo Tanaka - The D-backs brought All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to their meeting with Tanaka and let him talk about what it was like to play for the D-backs. Hall said. "Goldy expressed himself very well. So when a player like Goldy sits in a room with a prospective free agent and speaks from the heart about what he loves about this organization and how he would like for him to be his teammate, I think it does have impact."
• [AZCentral] Diamondbacks lose out to Yankees on Tanaka - "We presented ourselves a very competitive offer and probably made it very difficult for Tanaka and his advisors making his decision to go to the Yankees," Towers said. "I would imagine that the reason we stayed there until the end is because I would imagine that we were one of probably two or three clubs that they were looking at very strongly. Very competitive. To go into any more details than that, I really don’t care to share."

What now?

• [ArizonaSports] They can't buy it, so the Diamondbacks must develop talent - "Somewhere along the line, it appears the drafting and developing of talent has gone a bit awry. The last couple of years have seen the D-backs part with elite prospect after elite prospect in deals, as they've been quick to sour on players who were once thought to be part of the franchise's bright future. Time will tell if the team was right to give up on them, but an organization cannot repeatedly pawn off high-end talent and hope to build a winning club."
• [John Gambadoro] Diamondbacks should rebound from losing out on Masahiro Tanaka by doing nothing - "The new goal is to reload for next year to have a shot at a star pitcher like David Price, Max Scherzer, Jon Lester or Homer Bailey via trade or free agency. The worst thing Arizona can do now is panic. They didn't get Tanaka and that sucks, but you don't rebound by throwing a boat load of money at a number-three pitcher just to say you did something. Save the money and bypass the temptation to nab one of the remaining free agent pitchers -- unless they are willing to sign for one year -- and be a player again next year for that ace."

And elsewhere

• [AP] Tanaka says Yankees wanted him most - Masahiro Tanaka says he chose to play for the New York Yankees because they appreciated him the most among the many teams in the majors who were chasing the prized signature of the star Japanese pitcher. "They gave me the highest evaluation and are a world-famous team." Tanaka said.
• [Bleed Cubbie Blue] No Masahiro Tanaka. What's Next For The Cubs? - "The Cubs were in the Tanaka process to win it, and failed -- likely not because they didn't have the money to spend, because they had said from the beginning they weren't going to be outbid. Don't call the Cubs cheap, not on this one, anyway."
• [ESPN] Yankees are still baseball's evil empire - "The Bronx Bankrollers have spent $491 million this offseason. It's almost like George is back in charge. As baseball fans, this is what we need. Last year's version of the Yankees was an embarrassment. Sure, they somehow scratched out 85 wins, but they played guys like Jayson Nix, Vernon Wells, David Adams and Zoilo Almonte... You can't dislike that kind of team. That kind of team is boring and irrelevant. "
• [SI] How the Yankees got Masahiro Tanaka, and what he'll really cost "The signing also pushes New York past the $189 million tax threshold, which means a 50 percent tax on the overage. That means Tanaka's salary (if you choose to isolate it and the team remains well above the threshold) effectively gets taxed as much as $77.5 million, bringing the potential effective cost of signing Tanaka to as much as $252.5 million."
• [Baseball Nation] The meaning of the Dodgers missing out on Masahiro Tanaka - "The Dodgers have a nonsensical-but-still-real budget, the Dodgers are OK with their rotation and the less exciting options to upgrade it, and the Dodgers probably aren't trading for Price... by not signing Tanaka, they're able to address an eventual weakness with their money, rather than buttress a strength. It will probably make them a stronger team in the long run."
• [Pinstripe Alley] Yankees sign Masahiro Tanaka: Get to know the Japanese phenom - Sob...