Red Sox sign Masataka Yoshida

nvalvo

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OH HELL YES.

I've been expecting us to be in on everybody without a QO attached, so this is goddamn rad in my book.
 

chawson

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OH HELL YES.

I've been expecting us to be in on everybody without a QO attached, so this is goddamn rad in my book.
I’m fascinated but a little nervous how this turns out at that price and length. But I’m sure they’ve done their research. A Luis Arraez-type hitter would look great on the Sox.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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Out of nowhere! Crazy.
I don’t know anything about him but the BB/K skills should translate- not as awesomely as that…. But probably better than anyone right now on the Sox
 

chawson

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From what I can tell he’s played mostly left field. Are we getting that Verdugo deal after all?
 

ehaz

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I know Suzuki was really hyped last year, haven't dived into this guy yet as his posting period just started. Will have to do it now!
I’ll try to find it but some of the big NPB writers were discussing the Japanese FAs on a YouTube video or podcast I was listening to in like October and said that Yoshida is a much better hitter than Suzuki. Smaller with less raw power and not as athletic. Also not very good defensively.

I’m guessing Yoshida plays LF and Verdugo moved to RF? Don’t love that defensively but this is the type of move you love to see. They’re obviously confident in this guy.
 

Minneapolis Millers

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This guy also walks, right? Arraez doesn’t walk. Yoshida profiles as a really good (better than Hernandez) top of the order bat.
 

brandonchristensen

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Very cool! I love moves like this. The excitement around Dice K was on another level but this is still really fun. Hope he rocks.
 

joe dokes

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Can we stop with this. It was perfectly legitimate to question their recent spending habits.
While I agree the joke has been played out, I also agree that those "questioning their recent spending habits" were not doing so based on any real evidence.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Sounds like a guy who consistently puts up great at bats, doesn’t get himself out, and barrels like crazy. Exciting profile if he can carry it over.
 

nvalvo

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In Japan, he's a .300/.400/.500 type. His K rate could spike 50% still be one of the lowest in the big leagues.

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.
 

joe dokes

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Sounds like a guy who consistently puts up great at bats, doesn’t get himself out, and barrels like crazy. Exciting profile if he can carry it over.
Any reports on speed? Limits on pickoffs and new bases sizes make stealing more attractive.
 

joe dokes

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Harry Hooper

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From what I can tell he’s played mostly left field. Are we getting that Verdugo deal after all?
I think that trade is going to happen as more power and better RF defense would help.
 

Mooch

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Jul 15, 2005
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With no shift, this guy might put up some serious numbers. Looks like a dead pull hitter to me.
 

chrisfont9

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OMG OMG OMG!!! I don't know about "ha they aren't cheap" or whatever, but this does emphasize the point that they keep a pretty severe lid on leaks these days, so we really know nothing until we know it.

Great move. The OF discussions we have had for a couple months now were all kind of depressing, either because of the player or the price or both. Whether Yoshida can hit ML pitching is a large question mark, but at least the risk is just money.
 

ehaz

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I like this so much better than options like Nimmo or Conforto
I wasn’t a Conforto fan but the advantage of Nimmo was you’d still have a really good OBP guy out of the lead-off spot but you’d also get another elite CFer who could push Kiké to RF.

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.