Baseball-Major League Baseball roundup

Jan 22 (The Sports Xchange) - Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka and the New York Yankees agreed to a seven-year, $155 million contract. The 25-year-old right-hander narrowed his choice to the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, who were offering more overall money but not an opt-out clause. His contract with the Yankees includes an escape clause after four years. The Yankees also have a $20 million bill for negotiating rights due to the Rakuten Golden Eagles, Tanaka's home team in Japan. In total, the Yankees' $175 million tab for Tanaka is a record for a free agent pitcher. With his contract on the books, Tanaka pushes the Yankees payroll over $200 million for next season. - - - The Oakland Athletics signed free-agent reliever Eric O'Flaherty to a two-year, $7 million contract, FOX Sports reported. Performance bonuses could boost the contract's value to near $10 million, according to the report. O'Flaherty, 28, is not expected to be ready to pitch until July after undergoing Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery, but he is considered one of the better relievers in baseball. - - - The Tampa Bay Rays acquired infielder Logan Forsythe in a seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres. The Rays also landed right-handed pitcher Brad Boxberger, right-handed pitchers Matt Andriese and Matt Lollis and infielder Maxx Tissenbaum from the Padres in exchange for left-handed pitcher Alex Torres and right-hander Jesse Hahn. (Editing by Julian Linden)