Where does Masataka Yoshida's situation rank among Red Sox’s worst signings?

Masataka Yoshida has become something of a ghost for the Boston Red Sox. He's been on the 10-day injured list for the entire season, and some fans speculated it's a phantom IL stint because the Red Sox have nowhere to play him.

With Rafael Devers moving to designated hitter and the outfield stacked with talent, Yoshida doesn't seem to have a role on the roster. Despite their best efforts to trade him, the Red Sox were unable to unload his contract in the offseason.

Speaking of that contract, Boston signed Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million contract before the 2023 season. He hasn't been able to regain his form from Japan, posting a combined 111 OPS+ in his first two seasons. While he has hit for a high average, he hasn't shown much power, especially last year. Not only that, but he was a defensive liability in left field, and DH is probably the only place he can reasonably play.

Masataka Yoshida's Red Sox contract among team's worst recent deals

But where does Yoshida's contract rank among the Red Sox' worst signings in recent history? Yoshida certainly hasn't lived up to the hype and hasn't been worth his contract, but there are others who have signed with the Red Sox who have underperformed far more.

Pablo Sandoval's five-year, $95 million deal signed in 2015 is undoubtedly the worst signing in recent Red Sox history. Not only was the contract worth more than Yoshida's, but Sandoval's tenure in Boston was an unmitigated disaster. In 161 games, he hit .237/.286/.360 for an OPS+ of just 71, and he struggled badly in the field. Things got so bad that the Red Sox released him midway through his third year.

There's also Carl Crawford. After a stellar nine years in Tampa, the Red Sox gave Crawford a seven-year, $142 million contract in 2011. He played just 161 games, managing just an 89 OPS+ and ceasing to be a threat on the basepaths before being traded to the Dodgers after two seasons. At least the Red Sox were able to get out of that contract.

More recently, there's Trevor Story, whose six-year, $140 million deal hasn't quite panned out either. Story has struggled with consistent injuries and hasn't been good when healthy.

Compared to those contracts, Yoshida's situation doesn't seem quite so bad, especially because he wasn't brought in to be the team's savior or even a superstar. He was brought in to be a quality bat in the lineup, and although he hasn't lived up to the hype, he's still been above league average at the plate.