Sources: Red Sox shell out $105M in Yoshida deal

Outfielder Masataka Yoshida and the Boston Red Sox agreed connected a five-year, $90 cardinal declaration Wednesday, sources told ESPN, adding the astir productive bat successful Japan implicit the past 2 seasons to a rapidly retooling Red Sox team.

Yoshida, 29, locked successful a woody with the Red Sox connected the archetypal time helium was eligible to motion aft the Orix Buffaloes, the reigning Japan Series champion, posted him. A country outfielder, Yoshida deed .335/.447/.561 with 21 location runs, 80 walks and conscionable 41 strikeouts successful 508 sheet appearances this year.

Earlier successful the day, Boston agreed to a two-year, $32 cardinal contract with person Kenley Jansen, bolstering a bullpen that was 1 of the worst successful shot past season. Yoshida is expected to person an adjacent greater interaction -- and the Red Sox paid a terms higher than expected to unafraid him.

In summation to the $90 cardinal owed to Yoshida, the squad volition wage a $15.4 cardinal posting interest to the Buffaloes, bringing the full outlay by Boston to $105.4 million. The posting strategy allows players nether declaration with overseas teams to motion with Major League Baseball club, with the MLB squad paying a interest based connected a percent of the guaranteed salary.

Yoshida spent 7 seasons with Orix, distinguishing himself arsenic 1 of the champion players successful Japan. Over his career, helium has batted .326/.419/.538 with conscionable 307 strikeouts successful 3,251 sheet appearances. Minnesota Twins leadoff antheral Luis Arraez was the lone subordinate successful MLB past twelvemonth with a little strikeout complaint than Yoshida.