Once or twice a game, Masahiro Tanaka would scold himself. After throwing a pitch that missed its spot by an inch or two and watching a batter hit a shot to the warning track or even just foul it off, Tanaka would clench his teeth or hunch his shoulders or even scream at himself. I loved seeing that reaction.

When Tanaka flashed that brief burst of emotion on the mound, it was an indication of how much of a pitching perfectionist he was. Tanaka is a pitcher who is also a creator and an innovator, a pitcher with a precise plan to subdue hitters his way. I have always called Tanaka a pitching robot because he programmed himself to succeed. Quite often, he did.

Across seven stellar seasons with the Yankees, Tanaka was a treat to watch because of the deft way that he executed. Tanaka is a superb control specialist, a pitcher who flooded the zone with strikes even as he was also getting batters to chase his pitches that were out of the zone. That’s an incredible formula for success and it’s something that few Major Leaguers have done as expertly as Tanaka.

But Tanaka will not pitch for the Yankees in 2021 after agreeing to a two-year, $17.2 million deal with the Rakuten Eagles, his former team in Japan. While Tanaka would have probably preferred to remain with the Yankees, the discussions between his agent and the Yankees never gained much traction.

Instead of reuniting with Tanaka, who has been durable and resilient, the Yankees signed free agent Corey Kluber and also acquired Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates for four prospects. Kluber, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, and Taillon, who has had two Tommy John surgeries, combined to pitch one inning in 2020. Still, the Yankees have closely studied both pitchers and are confident Kluber and Taillon will be productive this season.

In explaining the Yankees’ rotation decisions, general manager Brian Cashman called the addition of Kluber and Taillon over Tanaka as “two for the price of one.” Since Kluber will earn $11 million and Taillon will make $2.25 million, that presumably means that Tanaka was seeking a contract in the $13 million range. Based on the marketplace, that was a reasonable salary request from Tanaka, who had pitched with a partial tear in his ulnar collateral ligament since his first season with the Yankees.

Will the Yankees regret their decision to let Tanaka go? It’s possible. Even Cashman acknowledged that he couldn’t say he is satisfied with the organization’s offseason moves until he sees if they are successful. Obviously, Kluber and Taillon must stay healthy and must be effective. One manager who has competed against Tanaka told me, “After you let a guy like Tanaka go, he ends up being the type of pitcher you’re looking for when you need help.”

In an era defined by powerful fastballs and how many pitchers on a staff can throw 100 miles per hour, Tanaka thrived by pitching away from his fastball. At times, he could still throw his fastball 95 miles per hour, but he didn’t really want to throw it. He wanted to stifle hitters by using his two best pitches, his slider and his splitter. That approach and his dazzling control is what made him such an artist.

Anytime a team signs a player to a 7-year, $155 million deal, as the Yankees did with Tanaka, there is some fear about whether the player will be worth the return on the investment. Tanaka was worth it. He was a consistent performer, a great teammate and ambassador and a pitcher who excelled in the most important games. He was 5-4 with a 3.33 ERA in 10 postseason games, numbers that were worsened by allowing five runs in four innings against the Rays in the ALDS last October.

If you asked fans to rank the best pitchers in the American League since 2014, I’m not sure how many would choose Tanaka in their top 10. But they should. In Tanaka’s seven years with the Yankees, here are his AL rankings: 3.74 ERA (9th), 1,054 1/3 innings (7th), 23.1 strikeout percentage (8th), 4.8 walk percentage (1st), 4.76 strikeout-to-walk ratio (4th), .284 opponent on-base percentage (4th), .629 winning percentage (4th) and 17.6 WAR (7th).

All those impressive numbers are simply more evidence to verify what my eyes already told me and what your eyes should have already told you: Tanaka was a pitching perfectionist. Sometime in 2021, I know I will watch Tanaka pitch for Rakuten. After a wayward pitch, I will be poised to see Tanaka clench his teeth, hunch his shoulders or scream at himself. And I will love that reaction.