Red Sox sign star Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida
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The Red Sox have agreed to terms with Japanese star outfielder Masataka Yoshida on a five-year, $85 million dollar contract, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
BREAKING: Outfielder Masataka Yoshida and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 7, 2022
In seven years with the Orix Buffaloes, Yoshida posted a .327/.421/.539 batting line and led Nippon Professional Baseball in OPS the last two seasons. This year, Tanaka helped steer the Buffaloes to a Japan Series championship.
According to Passan, his 41 strikeouts in 508 plate appearances last season, would have been the second-lowest strikeout rate in MLB last year.
Yoshida, 29, is an on-base machine who led Nippon Professional Baseball in OPS the last two seasons. His bat-to-ball skills are absolutely world-class: just 41 strikeouts in 508 plate appearances, with 80 walks. Only Luis Arraez had a lower strikeout rate in MLB last season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 7, 2022
In addition to the $85 million deal, bringing Yoshida over from Japan will require the Red Sox to pay a $15 million posting fee to the Orix Buffaloes.
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