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According to
Baseball America's Ben Badler, the Seattle Mariners are the top choice to land Japanese free-agent
Masahiro Tanaka. That's right—
not the Evil Ones, not the Angels—the M's! In the wake of Seattle's bold acquisition of
Robinson Cano, the team still has a lot of dough to spend (partly due to a huge new TV contract). Adding Tanaka to a rotation anchored by
Felix Hernandez would make Seattle an instant contender in the AL West. Badler also lists the Top Ten contenders for Tanaka—which places the Red Sox at #9. While he sees the Carmine Hose as a longshot "lurker", he concludes his analysis with this,
"...Tanaka would significantly boost their 2014 rotation, perhaps even becoming the team’s top starter. Just as important, as a 25-year-old potential No. 2 starter, Tanaka would represent a significant upgrade for the 2015 season and beyond, exactly the type of player the Red Sox should use their financial advantages to pursue."
