Keith Law Thinks Masataka Yoshida Stinks
It’s hard to know exactly what the Red Sox are getting with Masataka Yoshida unless you’re an expert on Japanese baseball. Even then, it’s impossible to know how exactly each overseas player will translate to MLB. The Red Sox clearly believe in Yoshida’s talent after giving him a 5-year contract worth $90 million. One MLB analyst, Keith Law, HATES the deal for Boston.
This is something that we’re going to have to track as the upcoming 2023 MLB season goes along. Just look at the difference between what Chaim Bloom says as compared to Keith Law:
“He’s someone that we really like and we’ve spent a lot of time on,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said of Yoshida prior to news of the signing broke. “Really, really good hitter, quality at-bat and a great talent.”
Law wrote that Yoshida “might be a regular on some teams, but I think for a contender, he might fit more as an extra outfielder — and if I’m right, this is not a good deal for Boston. Given the massive void they have behind the plate right now, and the fact that Willson Contreras just signed for less than Boston spent just on Yoshida (before the $15.4 million posting fee), I’m just confused.
One thing I will disagree with Law about is this idea that the Red Sox have a massive void behind the plate. That’s just not correct. Connor Wong and Reese McGuire were both really stable options down the stretch last year. I have blogs on both that people can see below. Law’s argument holds less weight given the fact that he believes Boston had to go add someone like Willson Contreras (who has signed with St. Louis). If Boston is going to add a catcher, a reunion with Christian Vazquez makes the most sense.
Time will tell if Chaim Bloom made the right call here. If Yoshida struggles, it very well could cost Bloom his job given everything that’s happened since he’s taken over. Especially after the Sox just lost Xander Bogaerts. Law seems confident in his assessment that Yoshida wasn’t even a top 50 available player this Winter. If that’s the case, Boston fans may riot. Literally.
