Masahiro Tanaka through the years

Hideki Matsui helped the Yankees land Masahiro Tanaka, general manager Brian Cashman says. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

Brian Cashman had turned on the charm before. But never like this.

The Yankees general manager was used to the object of his desire coming to him. He'd show them around. Wine them, dine them. Tell them why they should stay.

But this time, it took a cross-country flight, a video presentation and a pitch from fellow countryman Hideki Matsui for Cashman to land Masahiro Tanaka, he said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday afternoon.

"That was our one shot," Cashman said.

Well before Tanaka agreed to a seven-year deal worth $155 million with the Yankees — the fifth most expensive for a pitcher ever — Cashman and a contingent of team leaders flew to Los Angeles Jan. 8 to meet with Tanaka's group and his agent, Casey Close, who also represents Derek Jeter.

Tanaka asked interested teams to come to meet him so he wouldn't have to interrupt his workout routine with travel, Cashman said. It was relatively different for the Yankees, who were accustomed entertaining free agents at home, he said.

"Usually you have them come right to your ballpark," he said. "Show off this great city and stadium and all of the amenities."

But, this was different. This time, the crew had two hours to make make Tanaka want The Bronx, Cashman said.

So they prepared a video showcasing Yankee Stadium — it was "MTV Cribs"-style — complete with a message from Matsui, Cashman said. And they answered Tanaka's questions, Cashman said, though he wouldn't go into what was discussed.

And then, that was it. The Yankees had to wait. Cashman said Close asked teams to respect the confidentiality of the negotiations, and they listened.

It wasn't until late Tuesday that Close and Cashman were working out the deal's final details, the general manager said. Those included a fourth-year opt-out clause, which Cashman said wasn't his idea. It also includes a full no-trade clause, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.