The teams all have more money and this FA class is not that strong.

I say Tanaka gets a Darvish salary, with Darvish money for the post as well.

What's maybe most impressive is that Tanaka maintained a miniscule HR rate this season in spite of the livelier balls.

I see these two as the Japanese version of Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux.

One thing that stands out to me is that Darvish appears to be improving in most areas, save for the hiccup in his age 22 season (injury and missed about 5 starts). Tanaka has seen a pretty substantial decline in SO/9 and seems to have peaked in his age 22 season and is less of a Darvish/Really HIGH SO guy and more of the Johnson-type. Tanaka still can strike out plenty of guys, but he will do it differently, a la Maddux. His walk rate is incredible as are most of his secondary #'s. If I am going to invest ~$100M in a guy I want to see gas, with results.

If I were the Twins FO, the declining K rate would concern me. Then I would laugh at myself for being a complete toolbox and go blow all of Pohlad's $$$, cuz our current rotation is a clown show.

I think you are splitting hairs a little to say Tanaka's k-rate has declined.

[TABLE=width: 256]

[TD=class: xl65, width: 64]Year[/TD]

[TD=width: 64]K%[/TD]

[TD=width: 64]BB%[/TD]

[TD=width: 64]HR/BIP[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2007[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]24.5%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]8.5%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]3.2%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2008[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]21.9%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]7.4%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]1.8%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2009[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]22.2%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]5.6%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]2.4%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2010[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]18.5%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]5.0%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]1.9%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2011[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]27.8%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]3.1%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]1.3%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2012[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]24.3%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]2.7%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]0.8%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2013[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]22.1%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]3.9%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]1.2%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65]7 Seasons[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]23.3%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]5.2%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]1.8%[/TD]

[/TABLE]

By comparison, Darvish:

[TABLE=width: 256]

[TD=class: xl65, width: 64]Year[/TD]

[TD=width: 64]K%[/TD]

[TD=width: 64]BB%[/TD]

[TD=width: 64]HR/BIP[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2005[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]12.7%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]11.7%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]2.3%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2006[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]18.3%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]10.2%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]2.7%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2007[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]26.6%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]6.2%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]1.7%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2008[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]27.2%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]5.8%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]2.2%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2009[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]23.8%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]6.4%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]1.9%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2010[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]27.6%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]5.8%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]0.9%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2011[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]31.2%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]4.1%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]0.9%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]25.1%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]6.7%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]1.7%[/TD]

[/TABLE]

Then again, here are Colby Lewis's 2 seasons in Japan

[TABLE=width: 256]

[TD=class: xl65, width: 64]Year[/TD]

[TD=width: 64]K%[/TD]

[TD=width: 64]BB%[/TD]

[TD=width: 64]HR/BIP[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2008[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]26.1%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]3.8%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]2.5%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl65, align: right]2009[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]26.0%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]2.7%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]2.6%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]26.0%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]3.2%[/TD]

[TD=class: xl66, align: right]2.6%[/TD]

[/TABLE]