Red Sox sign Masataka Yoshida

mikcou

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They were literally over the tax last year, so no it really wasn't
They obviously spend money - that isnt in dispute - they've either been close to, at tax, or slightly above basically every year. Their willingness to extend into longer year deals is very much in question. The longest deal this ownership group has executed is 7 years; Chaim- 6 years (obviously not a ton of history).

Stars are getting 8+ year deals now.

Edited to add: I like this - hes a good bet to be the best OF on the team and $17M a year isnt hard to justify even if he is not the ideal fit as someone needs to be able to play RF.
 

jon abbey

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But the fact that the Sox identified Yoshida as one of their guys and really paid up to get him has me dreaming of a potential Matsui like impact.
I don't think they're comparable past both being Japanese outfielders, Matsui was 6'2" and Yoshida is 5'8".
 

Max Power

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That sounds like Ichiro.(but I know it probably isn't)
More like a lefty Pedroia. That's great to have at the top of the lineup. The defensive reports I read have not been good, but the team needs an outfielder and DH, so he'll work one way or another.
 

Jimbodandy

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Can we stop with this. It was perfectly legitimate to question their recent spending habits.
Well it proves one thing, Mr. Hooper. It proves that you wealthy college boys don't have the education enough to admit when you're wrong.

I look forward to seeing how the power translates (if), but pretty psyched about the discipline and fielding.
 

scottyno

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They obviously spend money - that isnt in dispute - they've either been close to, at tax, or slightly above basically every year. Their willingness to extend into longer year deals is very much in question. The longest deal this ownership group has executed is 7 years; Chaim- 6 years (obviously not a ton of history).

Stars are getting 8+ year deals now.
Pedroia and Manny both got 8 year contracts and they offered a 10 year contract to Betts.
 

ehaz

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I don't think they're comparable past both being Japanese outfielders, Matsui was 6'2" and Yoshida is 5'8".
I said impact didn’t meant to imply they’re similar players. More that both were insanely accomplished NPB hitters (few of which have been really successful in MLB).

Obviously Matsui was on another level. One of the GOATs of NPB. But Yoshida has an insane track record.
 

Rasputin

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More like a lefty Pedroia. That's great to have at the top of the lineup. The defensive reports I read have not been good, but the team needs an outfielder and DH, so he'll work one way or another.
The thought of a lefty Pedroia just poking balls of the Monster all summer has a great deal of appeal.
 

mikcou

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Manny was a prior ownership group, no?
Manny was signed by Dan Duquette when the Yawkey Trust was getting the team ready for sale so absolutely yes.

Pedroia's deal was such a discounted deal that I dont think it means anything other than if you take 60-65% of market, a team is going to sign you up.

Edit: Manny's deal despite being signed 20+ years ago remains the second largest commitment the team has ever made. Thats pretty astounding given increase in player valuations and is at least somewhat indicative of an organization that tries to avoid long term commitments that approach market rates.
 

nattysez

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Bloom did well here. I think the Giants would've used some of the money earmarked for Judge to bid on Yoshida if the Sox hadn't moved so quickly.

Edit: Consider the sources, but Phillips and JP Morosi both mentioned Benintendi as a comp on MLB Network.
 
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radsoxfan

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Seems like hopefully a Lefty Pedroia with less defensive value.

Ignoring the posting fee, in this market they're banking on about 10 WAR over 5 years from age 29-34. I don't know anything beyond the stats and just posted YouTube videos, but doesn't sound too unreasonable.

Probably unlikely to go the way of Rusney Castillo at least.
 
Somewhat nervous but also excited by this signing. ~17mm isn't a trivial outlay, but if he plays to his potential the upside is massive. The thing that is scaring me is the general failure rate of NPB hitters in MLB is pretty high. I hate the idea of dead money on the books in 2025-2027, but there is enough upside here to make it work. If he can turn in 2-3 wins a year that's a very solid deal.

EDIT: also love the handedness, the Sox really struggled against RHP last year.
 

nvalvo

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Seems like hopefully a Lefty Pedroia with less defensive value.

Ignoring the posting fee, in this market they're banking on about 10 WAR over 5 years from age 29-34. I don't know anything beyond the stats and just posted YouTube videos, but doesn't sound too unreasonable.

Probably unlikely to go the way of Rusney Castillo at least.
Yup. I think we have a much better read on Nippon Professional Baseball than the Cuban Serie Nacional.
 

ehaz

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Watching his highlights on Youtube, he seems like a guy who will really be tough to defend in that he seems to spray hard contact from foul pole to foul pole, while his flyballs are mostly pulled. He's probably not hitting a ton of balls out to RF at Fenway, but would be a power menace in NYS and Camden.
Yoshida Battles the Bronx Robots Part 2
 

SouthernBoSox

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$18 AAV at 5 year commitment for what seems like a high floor, high ceiling player seems like a borderline bargain given what the likes of James Tallion have received in this market.
 

The Gray Eagle

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Wow this is surprising and exciting!
Withoout knowing much about him, I picture this guy to be some sort of combo of Ron Gant (short yet stocky/strong LF with pop) and Bernie Carbo (LH, not great defensively or fast, but can really flat-out hit).
The lineup really could use a hitter who works counts, lays off bad pitches, doesn't swing at junk, and won't get himself out in RISP situations.
Seems like most hitters coming from Japan lose some HR power, so I wouldn't expect more than 15 HR from him next year, especially with the big transition he's making. But that strike zone control and OBP, that should really help.
 

nighthob

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At the least they need someone good either offensively or defensively. Verdugo is a mediocre defender and dead average hitter. Really he’s the kind of guy that small market teams like because they’re fungible.
 

dynomite

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Some highlights:

https://www.reddit.com/r/NPB/comments/yiqyg9/masataka_yoshidas_2022_regular_season_and/

He will be 30 next July. He is 5’8” tall, so he will join (perhaps) Verdugo in the Red Sox OF as small-ish OFs.

Career .326 average and .956 OPS in the JPPL/JPWL with the Orix Buffaloes the entire time.

Let’s go.
Love this signing and getting a contact monster into the lineup.

Baseball America’s write up suggests what you do: gap to gap power that may be more doubles than HR, but a great eye and lineup addition.

He has good rhythm and balance in the batter’s box and is able to hit multiple pitch types, including the high-velocity fastballs he’ll see in MLB. Yoshida is an aggressive hitter who attacks pitches early in counts and mostly hits hard line drives from gap to gap. He has expert command of the strike zone and had more walks than strikeouts each of the last four seasons in NPB. Yoshida shows plus raw power in batting practice and had three 20-home run seasons in Japan, but his power projects to be fringy in MLB. He will have to add loft to his swing and learn to hit the ball out front better to access more power against big league pitching. Yoshida’s value is tied almost exclusively to his bat. He’s a below-average runner and below-average defender in left field whose range is severely limited. He plays hard and catches what is hit to him, but he struggles to reach balls in the gap or down the line.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/full-scouting-report-on-new-red-sox-outfielder-masataka-yoshida/?amphtml
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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An average player is not the worst thing in the world, especially when they aren’t paid all that much. I’d probably keep Verdugo another year. What kind of return can they get for him, and who do they acquire to replace him? None of the remaining free agent OF are all that compelling.
 

Jake Peavy's Demons

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I share sentiments of wanting RF to be vastly improved, but any concerns about our presumably starting CF Kiké Hernandez being penciled in as a starter?

In 9 seasons, he's played 130+ games 4x. Of those 4x, he's OPS+'d over 100 just twice.

2018: 117
2020: 108

I get he's a plus defender, but I have some concerns about his durability and his bat being consistent.
 
$18 AAV at 5 year commitment for what seems like a high floor, high ceiling player seems like a borderline bargain given what the likes of James Tallion have received in this market.
I agree with your conclusion, but not sure that he can really be characterized as high floor. There's a definite chance that he just can't make the transition to MLB. Seiya Suzuki put up OPS numbers better than Yoshida (in the ~1.050) range for the last few years of his NPB career (at a younger age) and then dropped down to .766 in his first year in MLB. And that's probably not Yoshida's floor.

We've seen enough people crush it at Worcester to the tune of 1.000+ OPS only to look like fools at the MLB level to know that transitioning up like that is far from guaranteed.
 

Yo La Tengo

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I share sentiments of wanting RF to be vastly improved, but any concerns about our presumably starting CF Kiké Hernandez being penciled in as a starter?

In 9 seasons, he's played 130+ games 4x. Of those 4x, he's OPS+'d over 100 just twice.

2018: 117
2020: 108

I get he's a plus defender, but I have some concerns about his durability and his bat being consistent.
I was reading that the Dodgers want an inexpensive CF and were considering a plus defender (Kiermaier). Maybe Hernandez gets moved? He was beloved on the LAD. Maybe a three-way deal?