Earlier today, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Reds signed Japanese outfielder Shogo Akiyama to a three-year contract. Jon Heyman had previously reported that the bidding reached the $20 million threshold, but the total value of the deal hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Akiyama, 31, has nine seasons in the Japan Pacific League under his belt. He has a career .301/.376/.454 triple-slash line along with 116 home runs, 513 RBI, and 112 stolen bases. He has finished each of the past five seasons with an OPS north of .800, thanks in large part to lofty on-base percentages ranging from .385 to .419.
Akiyama mostly played center field in Japan, but is likely to handle one of the corner outfield spots in Cincinnati. The Reds, now very much a threat in the NL Central, have also added Wade Miley and Mike Moustakas along with Akiyama this offseason.
