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The Yankees goal this winter was to do what they had to do in order to win next season. I think they succeeded. 

During the most important week of the Yankees offseason, Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka and the Bombers sealed the deal, as the twenty-five year old ace signed a 7-year deal worth nearly $155 million. Since the first week of the winter meetings, the Yankee front office assured the press and league that Tanaka was necessary in order to add depth to the lackluster pitching rotation. With a 24-0 record and 1.27 ERA with the Rakuten Eagles of the Nippon League, Tanaka brings optimism and promise to the Yankee
organization. The question everyone is pondering is whether or not Tanaka is worth the money he received. The Yankees spent about $180 million on the pitcher, including the posting fee. Scouts have claimed that Tanaka has greater potential than Yu Darvish, and hopefully these assumptions will put up above-average results. 

The Yankees have experienced success and failure with signings from the Japanese market in the past decade. Hideki Matsui played seven exceptionally well seasons in pinstripes from 2003-2009, which included a World Series MVP award. Matsui was a fan favorite, and his presence in the New York metro area brought positive popularity from Japan's loyal fans. On the flip side, Kei Igawa was supposed to be a well rounded pitcher who signed with the Yanks in 2007 after playing seven years with the Hanshin Tigers. Igawa's career in New York was brief and disappointing, as he suffered from continuous injuries and abysmal numbers. 

The biggest concern to the Yankees is this: Will Masahiro Tanaka end up as Matsui or Igawa? From every statistic I've read, I am quite optimistic in Tanaka's talents. Yu Darvish has so far delivered three successful seasons with the Texas Rangers, and with the expectations higher for Tanaka, the Yankees should be excited to have a young talented pitcher in the rotation. The combination of Hiroki Kuroda and Tanaka will bring a sense of friendship and connection to this rookie pitcher, who will now live in the greatest city in the world. 

After the Yanks missed the playoffs in 2008, the front office spent nearly $428 million on Sabathia, Burnett and Teixeira. This offeason, the Yanks have spent only $15 million more on Ellsbury, Beltran, McCann and Tanaka. Money's not an issue in the Bronx, and I can't wait for the season to start. The empire has just struck back.