The Boston Red Sox have made another splash in free agency. Hours after reportedly signing veteran closer Kenley Jansen to a two-year contract, they appear to have reached an agreement with Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reports the Red Sox are signing Yoshida to a five-year deal. The contract is worth more than $90 million and the posting fee for the Orix Buffaloes of the Nippon Professional Baseball league will be $15.4 million.
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SIGN UP HERE Yoshida, 29, slashed .335/.447/.551 with 21 homers and 89 RBI last season for the Buffaloes. The 5-foot-8, 176-pounder boasted his elite bat-to-ball skills with 82 walks to only 42 strikeouts in 2022. He has led the NPB in on-base percentage in both of the last two seasons.
While he isn't considered a slugger, Yoshida does have some pop to go with his plate discipline and his ability to hit for contact. The left-handed hitter was a good bet for 20+ homers per season in Japan. While that doesn't always translate to MLB, it's an encouraging sign.
Yoshida isn't considered a plus defender, but he shouldn't be a liability as a corner outfielder in Boston. He's best suited as a left fielder, so the Red Sox starting outfield in 2023 could have Yoshida in left, Kiké Hernandez in center, and Alex Verdugo in right.
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The signing of Yoshida checks off another important item on the Red Sox to-do list as they needed to add outfield depth. Next, they could look to add starting pitching or another big bat while also retaining homegrown shortstop Xander Bogaerts.