Yomiuri Giants sign Masahiro Tanaka, Raidel Martínez

While there are countless differences between MLB and the NPB, the leagues do have some things in common. One is a historical dominance from one organization. The Yomiuri Giants are, in many ways, the NPB’s equivalent to the New York Yankees.

Like the Yankees, the Giants have won more titles than any other franchise in the NPB (22) and have the most appearances in the Japan Series (37).

And like the Yankees, the expectation is to be competitive every year.

2024 was a good, but disappointing season. The Giants finished the regular season with a 77-59-7 record, three and a half games ahead of the Hanshin Tigers and eight games ahead of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. After two straight losing seasons, the club was back on top of the Central League. The Giants were the top seed heading into the playoffs and received a first-round bye, before dropping a tough series against the eventual Japan Series champion BayStars.

Teams like the Giants and Yankees don’t tend to sit on their hands after a tough playoff loss. They typically respond, trying to ensure the next season ends on a better note.

Yomiuri seems to be following that blueprint. The Giants have been aggressive this offseason.

According to a report from Yahoo! Japan, the Giants have reached an agreement to sign Masahiro Tanaka. Financial terms have not been disclosed, but Tanaka has been among the highest-paid players in the NPB in recent seasons.

Tanaka debuted in 2007 at age 18 for the Rakuten Golden Eagles. He’d pitch seven dominant seasons with Rakuten, including a historic 2013 campaign in which we went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA to win his second Eiji Sawamura Award (given to the NPB’s top pitcher based on certain pre-determined criteria; often referred to as the equivalent to the Cy Young Award but it’s not a perfect comparison), before the Eagles posted him and he signed with the New York Yankees.

Seven seasons in New York produced more impressive results for Tanaka, but when his contract concluded he elected to return to Japan and re-signed with the Eagles. That second stint, covering the last four seasons, hasn’t gone quite as well.

2024, in particular, was a challenge. Tanaka underwent elbow surgery following the 2023 season and spent most of 2024 rehabbing with the Giants farm team. He would only make one start for Yomiuri on the year. Collectively, he’d throw just 28 innings. Yomiuri would release him after the season.

Still, Tanaka is one of the most respected and decorated pitchers in the NPB’s history. The holder of a career 119-68 record and a 2.88 ERA over nearly 1,800 innings will be a welcomed addition to a Giants rotation facing the loss of their own legendary starting pitcher, with Tomoyuki Sugano looking to make the move to MLB.

Adding Tanaka addresses the Giants rotation needs, but the club also made headlines this week by adding one of the league’s top relievers to a bullpen that had already been the NPB’s best in 2024. Yomiuri signed Raidel Martínez to a four-year deal worth 5 billion yen (the equivalent of roughly $32.47M), according to a report from Yahoo! Japan. Separate reports, including from Francys Romero, suggest it’s a two-year, $16M deal.

Martínez, who just turned 28 in October, began his career at 18 with four seasons in Cuba’s top league before signing with the Chunichi Dragons in the NPB. Over the last seven seasons, Martínez has been one of the most dominant closers in the league, posting a 1.71 ERA and 0.901 WHIP while saving 166 games. Only one foreign-born pitcher has recorded 200+ saves in the NPB (Dennis Sarfarte, 234).

Martínez pitched for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic in both 2017 and 2023.

Chunichi had reportedly offered Martínez the highest annual salary in club history, but he still elected to leave and join the Giants instead.

Yomiuri lost in the playoffs a season ago and will watch their longtime ace leave for new opportunities. They’ve responded by adding another legendary starter and a premiere closer. That’s how a championship-chasing team is supposed to respond (psst, someone wake up Brian Cashman, please).