New York (AFP) - Masataka Yoshida, who led the Orix Buffaloes to this year's Japan Series title, has agreed to a five-year Major League Baseball deal with the Boston Red Sox, multiple reports said Wednesday.
The 29-year-old outfielder, a two-time batting champion in Japan's Pacific League, agreed to a $90 million deal after being obtained through the posting process, the MLB's website and ESPN reported, citing unnamed sources.
The move came after the Red Sox's major rival, the New York Yankees, agreed to terms with star slugger Aaron Judge.
The Red Sox must pay a posting fee of about $15.4 million to Orix based upon the contract terms for Yoshida, who was made available to MLB clubs through the posting process on Wednesday.
Yoshida sparked the first Orix run to the Japan crown in 26 years and helped Japan capture Olympic gold last year at Tokyo.
The Red Sox also reportedly agreed to a two-year deal worth $32 million on Wednesday with closing relief pitcher Kenley Jansen.
