Red Sox sign Japanese OPS king to big contract
Dec 11, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora talks to the media during the MLB Winter Meetings at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Clark-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Red Sox have made a big move in free agency by splashing out over $100 million on a top Japanese talent.
The Red Sox will sign outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year deal worth $90 million, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Red Sox will also owe the Orix Buffaloes roughly $15 million for Yoshida’s posting fee.
Masataka Yoshida's deal with the Boston Red Sox is for $90 million. With a posting fee of $15.4 million, the total cost of the five-year deal will be $105.4 million.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 7, 2022
The 29-year-old Yoshida is a career .327 hitter in NPB, and he posted a .447 OBP last season. The outfielder has displayed excellent bat-to-ball skills and struck out just 300 times in 3,189 plate appearances in the Japanese league.
The Red Sox had a busy Wednesday, adding an All-Star pitcher in a separate deal. Though the fate of shortstop Xander Bogaerts remains up in the air, they clearly want to make sure they do not wind up in the AL East basement again.
