Red Sox Sign Masataka Yoshida

[notin]

I think we'd all do that in a heartbeat.

 

Makes me with your “we” included the Astros GM…

[notin]

Yoshida is an excellent signing. Now we need the Japanese starting pitcher. A left handed reliever and a short stop.

 

We have 3 left-handed relievers…

[vjcsmoke]

Signing Yoshida looks like a move in the right direction to fix one of the worst hitting outfields in baseball. He was one of the top bats in the JP leagues. Hopefully this works out!

[Old Red]

The Red Sox are spending more money on this unproven Major League player than the Phillies are on Schwarber a proven Major League power hitter. Who got the better deal DD, or Bloom? Does anyone remember Rudsney?

[Bellhorn04]

The Red Sox are spending more money on this unproven Major League player than the Phillies are on Schwarber a proven Major League power hitter. Who got the better deal DD, or Bloom? Does anyone remember Rudsney?

 

It's a gamble, but this guy has big upside.

[Old Red]

It's a gamble, but this guy has big upside.

 

I think it’s a bigger gamble than it is a upside, and like I said yesterday Suzuki didn’t set the league on fire last year by any means.

[Bellhorn04]

I think it’s a bigger gamble than it is a upside, and like I said yesterday Suzuki didn’t set the league on fire last year by any means.

 

You're not much of an optimist though.

[Old Red]

You're not much of an optimist though.

 

And I should be with this signing?

[mvp 78]

I think it’s a bigger gamble than it is a upside, and like I said yesterday Suzuki didn’t set the league on fire last year by any means.

 

He didn't set the world on fire, but in 111 games he would have been the Sox best OFer last season by a country mile.

 

Yoshida will be a big time upgrade for this team.

[Old Red]

He didn't set the world on fire, but in 111 games he would have been the Sox best OFer last season by a country mile.

 

Yoshida will be a big time upgrade for this team.

Lots of hype, and wishful thinking for someone coming from Japan, and all of the low low price of $100M. Being a upgrade of JBJ’s bat, and Duran is not saying much. More production would have probably come from Renfroe than this guy, and lots cheaper too, which the Red Sox could have spent the money saved on much needed starting pitching.

[mvp 78]

Lots of hype, and wishful thinking for someone coming from Japan, and all of the low low price of $100M. Being a upgrade of JBJ’s bat, and Duran is not saying much. More production would have probably come from Renfroe than this guy, and lots cheaper too, which the Red Sox could have spent the money saved on much needed starting pitching.

 

Yes, they should have kept Renfroe. An OF or Yoshida, Kiké, Renfroe looks pretty good to me.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Lots of hype, and wishful thinking for someone coming from Japan, and all of the low low price of $100M. Being a upgrade of JBJ’s bat, and Duran is not saying much. More production would have probably come from Renfroe than this guy, and lots cheaper too, which the Red Sox could have spent the money saved on much needed starting pitching.

 

Yoshida doesn't strike out -- hype has nothing to do with that kind of hand-eye coordination or batting approach. We've seen enough of all-or-nothing swingers trudge back to the dugout, dragging their bats, rallies and won-loss records behind them.

[Old Red]

Yoshida doesn't strike out -- hype has nothing to do with that kind of hand-eye coordination or batting approach. We've seen enough of all-or-nothing swingers trudge back to the dugout, dragging their bats, rallies and won-loss records behind them.

 

Wow $100M for someone who doesn’t strike out in Japan baseball, which is on a level of a little better than AAA ball here in the states.

[moonslav59]

You're not much of an optimist though.

 

When you look at what some of these top line FAs are getting, the Yoshida and Jansen signings are looking better and better.

 

Yes, Diaz is better than Jansen, but WOW on the money differential. We got a solid and consistent closer, yet some (not Red) are complaining.

 

Yes, Bogey and others are more solid signings than Yoshida but what a massive pay difference.

 

The fact is, we still have at least 2 slots to fill and about $40M left to spend. Had we gone for Bogey or Diaz, we'd have very little left to spend on key areas of need.

 

The winter report card is still very incomplete, but I'm fine with what we ave done, so far.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Wow $100M for someone who doesn’t strike out in Japan baseball, which is on a level of a little better than AAA ball here in the states.

 

Yup, a hundred million dollars for a guy who's never played a day in the majors. Like Bloom says, the deal has to make sense for the ballclub.

[mvp 78]

Wow $100M for someone who doesn’t strike out in Japan baseball, which is on a level of a little better than AAA ball here in the states.

 

Maybe it translates, maybe it doesn't. There's a risk with every FA signing.

[mvp 78]

Yup, a hundred million dollars for a guy who's never played a day in the majors. Like Bloom says, the deal has to make sense for the ballclub.

 

If he had played in MLB, it's probably 200M if you look at what has been handed out this offseason. Seems like the "value play" that Bloom talks about.

[moonslav59]

Wow $100M for someone who doesn’t strike out in Japan baseball, which is on a level of a little better than AAA ball here in the states.

 

I really hope we can call you out on this, later.

 

It is a real gamble, no doubt. I share your concern about him not really being ML tested or proven. There are dozens of examples of players from that league do poorly and dozens that do well.

 

I will say, look at the list of the highest paid MLB FA signings over the years: what is the success rate on them vs Japanese players? It might be very close.

[mvp 78]

I really hope we can call you out on this, later.

 

It is a real gamble, no doubt. I share your concern about him not really being ML tested or proven. There are dozens of examples of players from that league do poorly and dozens that do well.

 

I will say, look at the list of the highest paid MLB FA signings over the years: what is the success rate on them vs Japanese players? It might be very close.

 

Suzuki's contract has been fine so far. Kim (Korean, not Japanese) struggled adjusting in 2021, but more than made up for it last season. Those two guys are the most recent offensive talents to cross the Pacific.

[redsoxrules]

So what position is he going to play? LF or RF?

[moonslav59]

So what position is he going to play? LF or RF?

 

I'm guessing Dugo is better in RF. Maybe we trade Dugo or make him the DH/4th OF'er and try and acquire a RF'er (Gallo/Conforto or by trade?)

[moonslav59]

Suzuki's contract has been fine so far. Kim (Korean, not Japanese) struggled adjusting in 2021, but more than made up for it last season. Those two guys are the most recent offensive talents to cross the Pacific.

 

There is a chance he ends up hitting better than Bogey over the 5 year deal, and he's only 33-34 years old in his final season.

[sk7326]

Signing Yoshida looks like a move in the right direction to fix one of the worst hitting outfields in baseball. He was one of the top bats in the JP leagues. Hopefully this works out!

 

The tricky part is the power. For the most part, the NPB power numbers have not translated going across the pond. (basically it's Ohtani, Matsui and that's it) It's a LF/DH player without plus speed - so really all of this lies in his ability to hit for power. It's a real gamble.

[mvp 78]

I'm guessing Dugo is better in RF. Maybe we trade Dugo or make him the DH/4th OF'er and try and acquire a RF'er (Gallo/Conforto or by trade?)

 

I would trade him for sure.

[mvp 78]

The tricky part is the power. For the most part, the NPB power numbers have not translated going across the pond. (basically it's Ohtani, Matsui and that's it) It's a LF/DH player without plus speed - so really all of this lies in his ability to hit for power. It's a real gamble.

 

He's not a true power guy, he's a classic on base guy who has won a few batting titles. If it translates to doubles here, that's fine. He supposedly goes the opposite way well, which should work well at Fenway.

[mvp 78]

There is a chance he ends up hitting better than Bogey over the 5 year deal, and he's only 33-34 years old in his final season.

 

If Henry doesn't want to pay guys after age 35, he needs to extend then prior to hitting arbitration.

[moonslav59]

I would trade him for sure.

 

His value is not that good or better in RF or DH, so yes.

[moonslav59]

If Henry doesn't want to pay guys after age 35, he needs to extend then prior to hitting arbitration.

 

Exactly. He's already waited too long on Devers, especially with him now seeing what others are making this winter.

[mvp 78]

His value is not that good or better in RF or DH, so yes.

 

There has been noise about the Sox not being happy with Verdugo since last offseason. I think he's a goner.

[moonslav59]

There has been noise about the Sox not being happy with Verdugo since last offseason. I think he's a goner.

 

After his first season here, I expected further improvement. It never happened.

 

This summer, I spoke about us having too many left fielders, then we added Pham. Now, we replaced Pham with Yoshida.

 

Dugo in RF makes a mockery of the idea we needed JBJ for RF.

 

The Astros want a LF'er.

 

If we take back A Garcia as part of a Marlins trade for a SP'er, maybe they'd want him.

 

I'm sure there are other options. He does have plus value.