Photo/Illutration Rakuten Eagles pitcher Masahiro Tanaka warms up. (Kenji Matsuzawa)

Masahiro Tanaka’s return to Nippon Professional Baseball will generate 5.717 billion yen ($54.2 million) a year for his team and the local economy of Miyagi Prefecture, according to an estimate by an expert in the field.

Katsuhiro Miyamoto, a professor emeritus of economics at Kansai University, released his research results on Feb. 17, a few weeks after the star pitcher rejoined the Rakuten Eagles following seven years of playing for the New York Yankees.

He reportedly signed a two-year contract for an estimated 900 million yen a year, plus incentive bonuses.

Miyamoto said that deal is a steal for the local economy.

“The findings reveal that Tanaka’s annual salary of 900 million yen is not so expensive because he will have a huge economic impact on the local community,” Miyamoto said in a statement.

His estimate assumes attendance at the team’s stadium will increase by 20 percent, or more than 350,000 in total per year.

The influx, coupled with increases in concession stand sales of goods and food, as well as earnings from broadcasting rights and sponsors, is expected to total 3.462 billion yen.

Aside from those direct economic effects, the ripple effects on Miyagi Prefecture are estimated at 2.255 billion yen based on the prefecture’s past analysis data.

Both the direct and indirect effects will amount to 5.717 billion yen a year, according to Miyamoto.

Even if spectator numbers are halved to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Tanaka’s return is expected to produce more than 3.9 billion yen for the local economy.

Tanaka, now 32, recorded 24 wins against zero losses in 2013, and led the Eagles to their first Pacific League pennant and Japan Series championship.

He joined the Yankees the following year.

Related News