Red Sox sign Japanese star outfielder on base: report
Boston Red Sox found their complement in the field overseas as they quickly signed Japan’s Masataka Yoshida just a day after he was posted to the Orix Buffaloes.
Yoshida’s deal is valued at $90 million over five years, and since Oryx’s fee is $15.4 million, Boston’s total payout for the 29-year-old outfielder is about $105.4 million, according to ESPN.
A clear attribute of Yoshida during his time in Japanese professional baseball got to the base. He has led the league in OPS for the last two seasons, with 1,008 points in 2022 in 119 regular season games. Yoshida hit .335/.447/.561 with 21 homers, 88 RBIs and 138 hits.
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He also has an incredible eye for the dish, with just 42 strikeouts to 82 walks.
Yoshida posted a .327/.421/.539 slash with 133 homers and 467 RBIs over seven NPB seasons.
Yoshida is 5’8″ tall and weighs 176 pounds, but surprises many with the pop of his bat. He also made 28 doubles and one triple.
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Boston needed help on the field after he refused to accept the Tommy Pham option. season 2023. There is Alex Verdugo and Enrique Hernandez, but last season the Red Sox had to mix and match players like Jarren Duran, Rob Refsnyder and others.
The Red Sox also needed a consistent lead hitter, which Yoshida could be for them given his track record in Japan.
Will his overseas skills carry over to MLB? We’ve seen Ichiro, Hideki Matsui, and now Shohei Otani play well when they enter the league, but others have been flashes or league jumpers.
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A multi-year contract with Boston shows they believe Yoshida will have an immediate impact on their drive to return to postseason play after missing out in 2022 and beyond.
Yoshida is Boston’s second signing on Wednesday, as closer veteran Kenley Jansen also selected the Red Sox as his next team.
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The bullpen has been a focus for the organization since they signed left-handed pitcher Joely Rodriguez and former Los Angeles Dodger Chris Martin.