New York Yankees sign coveted Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees made perhaps their biggest splash of the offseason, during which they had already made several high-profile signings, when they landed coveted Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, his agent confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com.

Tanaka signed a 7-year, $155 million deal that includes an opt-out clause after the fourth year, his agent, Casey Close, told the site. The agent had a deadline of 5 p.m. EST on Friday to have a contract and a physical completed with the Yankees.

The 25-year-old Tanaka played for the Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Japanese League last year and finished with an astonishing 24-0 record. The right-hander pitched 212 innings and had an amazing 1.27 ERA for the season.

"We're going to do what we've got to do to win," Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "We had to make sure we had enough pitching to go together with our new lineup."

That new lineup includes outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, catcher Brian McCann and power hitter Carlos Beltran, each of whom signed lucrative contracts with the Yankees that totaled $438 million among the three of them.

The Yankees must also pay a $20 million posting fee to the Golden Eagles due to the new rules that went into effect this offseason. Tanaka still had two more years on his contract with Rakuten.

Tanaka could take the top spot in the Yankees' rotation, though CC Sabathia still can claim that position. Either way, Tanaka will have the task of helping lead the Yankees back to the postseason, which New York missed for just the second time since 1995 last season.

What do you think, fans? Will Tanaka help deliver the Yankees back to the promised land? Let us know in the comments below.