Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida was posted Wednesday by the Orix Buffaloes in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. Just hours later, the Red Sox swooped in and signed the 29-year old to a five-year, $90 million deal, adding an elite bat-to-ball hitter to the lineup.
Yoshida projects as a potential top-of-the-order hitter after leading NPB in OPS in each of the last two seasons. In addition to the contract, the Sox will also pay a $15.375 million posting fee to Orix because Yoshida remained under team control.
Here are five things to know about Yoshida:
The Red Sox moved quickly in locking up Yoshida as it was expected he would garner interest from all 30 clubs as a plug-and-play option in the outfield.