SAN DIEGO — It’s not the move Red Sox fans have been waiting for, but for the first time in years they made a franchise-altering free-agent signing that will completely change the way they look on the field.
Masataka Yoshida, the Japanese star who has the best plate approach in Nippon Professional Baseball and should immediately slot into the top of the Red Sox batting order, agreed to sign with Boston on a contract that will pay him $90 million over the next five years, according to multiple reports on Wednesday evening.
The Red Sox will also have to pay Yoshida’s club, the Orix Buffaloes, a posting fee of more than $15 million, bringing the total commitment beyond $105 million.
