Tanaka says he'll consider signing with MLB team besides Yankees

Masahiro Tanaka might be open to continuing his MLB career outside of the Bronx after all.

A report this week suggested the Japanese right-hander plans to return to his native country if he doesn't re-sign with the New York Yankees, perhaps with his former Nippon Pro Baseball team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. On Friday, Tanaka clarified on Twitter he's potentially open to leaving the Yankees for another team in MLB.

"At this stage, we are not limiting the teams we want to play (for) next season, but we are thinking (about) all the teams that are interested in us," Tanaka wrote in Japanese on Friday, according to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.

It's unclear if any other MLB teams are interested in Tanaka right now.

The Yankees have expressed interest in re-signing Tanaka this winter. However, they have already informed both he and veteran outfielder Brett Gardner that they can't commit to contracts until infielder DJ LeMahieu - the team's top priority in free agency - signs his next deal, either with the Yankees or elsewhere.

Tanaka and his family have apparently enjoyed their time in New York, and it's believed he would consider crossing town to join the Mets, according to Davidoff. While the Mets are pursuing starting pitching upgrades - they're reportedly chasing NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer and Tomoyuki Sugano, another Japanese star - it's not known if they have interest in Tanaka.

During a recent radio interview in Japan, Tanaka said he "can't do it (pitch) without an offer," according to Davidoff. In that same interview, he also described the chances of returning to Japan as "not zero."

The 32-year-old right-hander joined the Yankees in 2014 after a stellar run with the Golden Eagles. He's appeared in two All-Star Games with New York while posting a 3.74 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over seven big-league seasons.