According to a report from Japan’s Nikkan Sports, which has been all over the Shogo Akiyama story, the outfielder has reached an agreement with the Reds on a three-year deal expected to be over $15 million. That’s a little more than what some believed he was seeking, but it’s right in line with what Bruce Levine of 670 The Score had put out there earlier in the month.
Akiyama had been a Cubs target and would have satisfied their needs for an everyday centerfielder with a contact-heavy, high-OBP plate approach, but the cost was higher than their baseball budget currently allows.