Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida 'Close' With Top Free Agent, Primed For Recruiting Pitch

The Boston Red Sox have spent the last few seasons spending modestly and staying right around the luxury tax threshold.

After a season in which they just barely climbed over the tax in 2022, Boston dipped under for 2023. With the penalties reset, the Red Sox should be primed for relatively free spending for the next two seasons. 

The biggest priority for the Red Sox will be their pitching staff, which needs an almost fully renovated rotation. Fortunately, the biggest free-agent prize from last offseason could help land them their top target this winter: Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. 

The 25-year-old ace is coming off a no-hitter and 42 consecutive innings pitched without an earned run in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. 

Yamamoto is 14-5 with a 1.26 ERA, 145-to-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.88 WHIP in 143 innings pitched this season for the Orix Buffaloes. 

The flame-throwing righty played with Masataka Yoshida for six seasons with the Buffaloes and then again in the World Baseball Classic this spring. Yoshida revealed details of their relationship.

“We’re close to each other," Yoshida told the Boston Herald's Mac Cerullo. "We’ve played (together) for a long time."

Yoshida noted that they still keep in touch and have a good relationship. When asked about the possibility of reuniting in Boston, Yoshida was certainly for it but will be happy to see him stateside wherever he lands.

“If it happens that would be cool, that’s his baseball life, so I hope he’ll be well in any team he goes,” Yoshida said. “I’m so excited to see him again.”

The Red Sox have scouted Yamamoto thoroughly and have been long-rumored to be a logical landing spot for the young hurler. However, the injury to impending free-agent and two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani complicates matters.

With Ohtani unable to pitch next season, Yamamoto's arm will be even more coveted. The New York Yankees are expected to make a strong pursuit, as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers, and possibly the New York Mets. 

While money will do most of the talking, Yoshida's ability to aid in the recruiting efforts cannot be understated.