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The Red Sox made their first major counter move to the rival Yankees, agreeing to a five-year, $90 million deal with Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The club has not confirmed the move.
The Red Sox will have to pay a $15.375 million posting fee to the Orix Buffaloes based on the $90 million contract for Yoshida.
Yoshida had been posted to MLB teams on Wednesday at 8 a.m. ET and was quickly picked up by Boston. The 29-year-old outfielder led the Buffaloes to their first Japan Series title in 26 years, thanks in part to a walk-off home run that went viral around the baseball-loving world.
Because Yoshida has yet to accrue the necessary service time to become an international free agent, his only avenue to join Major League Baseball is via the posting process. Based on his age and professional experience, Yoshida will not be subject to international spending limitations.
Yoshida is one of two Japanese stars expected to move to MLB this offseason. Right-handed starter Kodai Senga is an international free agent after making three All-Star teams with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks over the last decade.