NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The Yankees talked frugality, then reverted to their high-spending ways. New York capped an off-season spending spree by agreeing Wednesday to a $155 million, seven-year contract with prized Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. Following just the second season in 19 years that didnt include a playoff appearance, the Yankees flexed their economic might and committed $438 million to four free agents. Tanaka joined catcher Brian McCann and outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran on a revamped roster missing long-time All-Stars Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Robinson Cano. And in addition to the deal with the 25-year-old right-hander, the Yankees must pay a $20 million posting fee to Tanakas Japanese club, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. "Anybody that questioned our commitment to winning is going to have to question themselves," Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. Big league teams had until Friday to reach an agreement with Tanaka, who was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last year as the Golden Eagles won the Japan Series title. Arizona, the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston all said they were among the failed bidders. Still, the Yankees have ample uncertainty — especially in an AL East where they compete with World Series champion Boston. And especially with a veteran team that saw 21 players go on the disabled list last year. David Robertson appears set to inherit the closers role from the retired Rivera, and New York must try to make up the offence lost when Cano left for a $240 million, 10-year deal with Seattle. Alex Rodriguez is suspended for the entire season and 39-year-old shortstop Derek Jeter has played just 17 games since October 2012. "I think the entire infield is certainly something that people will focus on," New York general manager Brian Cashman said. "Whats Brian Roberts going to be? Whats Derek Jeter going to be as he comes back from his injury? Whats Mark Teixeira going to be at first base as he comes back from his wrist? Can Kelly Johnson secure and handle on a consistent basis third base?" New York went 85-77 last year, its worst record since 1992. Attendance and television ratings dropped. The pinstriped response was similar to the Yankees behaviour after they missed the playoffs in 2008. They spent $423.5 million on CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Teixeira, then won their 27th World Series title. This off-season included big deals for McCann ($85 million for five years), Ellsbury ($153 million for seven) and Beltran ($45 million for three). Combined with agreements to re-sign Hiroki Kuroda and Brendan Ryan, and to add Roberts, Johnson and Matt Thornton, the Yankees off-season spending on free agents totals $471 million. Add the posting fee, and the cost was nearly a half-billion dollars. "There has been criticism of myself and my brother the last couple years that, gee, if our dad was still in charge, wed be spending this and spending that and doing whatever it takes to win," Hank Steinbrenner said, referring to late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. "He didnt have revenue sharing, at least for most of his time," Hank Steinbrenner added. "Thats what these people in the sports media dont seem to get. If it wasnt for revenue sharing, wed have a payroll of $300 million a year if we wanted to. So were doing this despite having to pay all that revenue sharing." Tanaka replaces the retired Pettitte in the rotation and joins Sabathia, Kuroda and Ivan Nova. David Phelps, Adam Warren, Michael Pineda and Vidal Nuno are in the mix for the No. 5 slot. Tanaka was 99-35 with a 2.30 ERA in seven seasons with the Golden Eagles, striking out 1,238 in 1315 innings. Yankees official has tracked him since 2007, scouting 15 of his games. They sent an eight-person delegation to meet with him Jan. 8 in Beverly Hills, Calif. "Hes got an assortment of quality pitches. Hes fastball, slider, split. Throws a cutter, too," said pitcher coach Larry Rothschild, who attended the session. "Hes showed tenacity on the mound. When he got in tougher situations, you could see he dialed it up." Tanakas agreement calls for $22 million in each of the first six seasons and $23 million in 2020, and it allows the pitcher to terminate the deal after the 2017 season and become a free agent. He also gets a full no-trade provision. Tanaka receives a $35,000 moving allowance, an annual $100,000 housing allowance to be used in New York or near the teams spring training facility in Tampa, Fla., and an interpreter of the pitchers choice at an $85,000 yearly salary. In addition to his own flight to the U.S., Tanaka annually will be provided four first-class round trip tickets between New York and Japan. Tanakas deal is the highest for an international free agent and the fifth-largest for a pitcher, trailing only the seven-years deals of the Los Angeles Dodgers Clayton Kershaw ($215 million), Detroits Justin Verlander ($180 million), Seattles Felix Hernandez ($175 million) and CC Sabathia ($161 million under his original agreement with New York). His contract boosts the Yankees payroll for purposes of the luxury tax over $203 million for 20 players with agreements. Barring trades, there is little chance New York will get under the $189 million tax threshold. Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner had been saying for two years that getting below the tax threshold in 2014 was a goal, but wouldnt get in the way of fielding a contending team. New York had great success in the Japanese market when it signed outfielder Hideki Matsui, a star from 2003-09 who was the World Series MVP in his final season in pinstripes. But the Yankees had failures with Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa, pitchers who never lived up to their potential. Matsui was part of a video the Yankees created and showed to Tanana at their pitch meeting. Tanaka was the first player available under the new agreement between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball, which caps posting fees at $20 million and allows multiple big league teams to negotiate. Under the previous system, in place from December 1998 through last off-season, there was no limit on the bid for negotiating rights and only the team with the top bid could try to sign the player. "It turned everything in reverse of where it was in the past," Cashman said, "where the posting numbers were extremely high, like players soccer transfer fees, to obviously a more traditional free-agent circumstance with a much lower transfer fee." AP freelance writer Mark Didtler in Tampa, Fla., contributed to this report. .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. [url=http://www.buccaneersjerseysofficialshop.com/black-friday-vincent-jackson-j... Jackson Womens Jersey . Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game. The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. [url=http://www.buccaneersjerseysofficialshop.com/black-ali-marpet-buccaneers-je... Marpet Womens Jersey . Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less. CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears agreed to a one-year contract with former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jay Ratliff, hoping he can boost their struggling line once hes ready to play. Agent Mark Slough confirmed the move Saturday, and the team announced the deal a few hours later. Slough said Ratliff will join the team sometime next week and should be ready to play in two to four weeks. A four-time Pro Bowl pick, Ratliff is joining a struggling defensive line. He also is getting a fresh start after being released by Dallas in mid-October. The Cowboys said at the time that he failed a physical after spending the first six weeks of the season on the physically unable to perform list. Ratliff missed the last six games of 2012 with a groin injury that required surgery and never practiced for Dallas this season. Slough said Ratliff was cleared by the surgeon a few weeks ago and his client is "good to go." He just has to "get over that last 10, 15 per cent." That probably cant happen soon enough for the Bears, who struggled right from the start to generate pressure and then got hit hard by injuries. Even so, Slough said the team wont rush Ratliff. "The Bears are going to be patient," he said. "Its more about getting him ready and right." The Bears (4-3) have dropped three of four and are trying to keep pace with Green Bay and Detroit in the tough NFC North. They visit the Packers on Monday night and will likely have to get by at least for the next few weeks without quarterback Jay Cutler (torn groin muscle) and star linnebacker Lance Briggs (small fracture in the left shoulder), who were injured in a loss at Washington on Oct.dddddddddddd 20. Losing their most important players on offence and on defence were just the latest blows for Chicago. The Bears are allowing 391 yards per game and have a league-low nine sacks. They lost defensive tackle Henry Melton, his replacement Nate Collins and middle linebacker D.J. Williams to season-ending injuries, forcing some shuffling in the rotation. Other players such as cornerback Charles Tillman and nose tackle Stephen Paea have been banged up, but Chicago was struggling up front even before the injuries started to mount. Defensive end Julius Peppers has hardly resembled the dominant force the team needs him to be. Now, the Bears are hoping the 32-year-old Ratliff can provide a spark once hes ready. Ratliff made the Pro Bowl in 2011, but missed 10 games last year. A sprained ankle kept him out of the first four, and then came the groin problem. The Cowboys said he had sports hernia surgery and expected him to be ready in 2013, but Slough said a few weeks ago doctors told him the injury was much more serious and could take up to a year to heal. He described the injury as muscles tearing away from bones in the pelvic area. Ratliff also was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in January after his injury-riddled 2012 season, just weeks after teammate Josh Brent was charged with intoxication manslaughter following a car accident that killed practice squad player Jerry Brown. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '