Yankees Sign Japanese Pitcher Masahiro Tanaka For $155 Million :::: MLB

After scouting him throughout 2013 in Japan, the New York Yankees signed pitcher Masahiro Tanaka Wednesday (Jan. 22) to a seven-year, $155 million contract, reports ESPN.com.

The 25-year-old's contract also includes an opt-out clause after the fourth year. And, the Yankees will pay Tanaka's Japanese team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, a $20 million posting fee.

The NY MLB team has been on a massive spending, signing $491 million in contracts for 2014 -- including $153 million for Jacoby Ellsbury, $100 million (including his option) for Brian McCann and $45 million for Carlos Beltran.

"We're going to do what we've got to do to win," Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner told the AP recently.