Report: Red Sox, Japanese OF Yoshida agree to five-year, $90M deal

Japan's Masataka Yoshida follows through after hitting a RBI single during a semi-final baseball game against South Korea at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, in Yokohama, Japan. (Matt Slocum/AP)

The Boston Red Sox and former Orix Buffaloes outfielder Masataka Yoshida have agreed to a five-year deal worth $90 million, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Yoshida was officially posted Wednesday morning and had 45 days to sign with a major league team.

The 29-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder won the 2022 Japan Series with the Buffaloes and hit .335 with 21 homers and 88 RBIs in 119 games.

He also played on Japan’s gold medal-winning team at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

In seven career seasons in the NPB, Yoshida has hit .327 with 133 home runs and holds a career .960 OPS.

His deal is the largest ever for a Japanese position player, breaking the record set by Seiya Suzuki’s five-year, $85 million with the Chicago Cubs last off-season.

He joins a Red Sox team that finished last in the AL East in 2022 with a 78-84 record.

Boston adds Yoshida to its off-season additions so far, after signing relievers Joely Rodríguez, Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen.

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