Red Sox: A Seiya Suzuki contract that works for everyone

The Boston Red Sox have maintained interest in Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki all offseason. What would it take to get a deal done?

Suzuki is a bit of an unknown at this point, as his only real professional baseball experience is in NPB, rather than MLB. Any team that takes on Suzuki — and the contract it’ll likely take to sign him — is bargaining a bit with fate.

The 27-year-old’s stats in NPB are impressive. Suzuki slashed .319/.436/.640 with 38 home runs last season. He’s considered the best player in Japan, and the transition to MLB isn’t what it once was. Look no further than players like Shohei Ohtani for examples of Japanese superstars living up to the hype.

Does Suzuki have the same guaranteed transition to stardom as a player like Ohtani? Well, no. Suzuki isn’t the next Babe Ruth, we think.

Red Sox: A perfect contract to sign Seiya Suzuki

Chaim Bloom has been unusually aggressive in pursuing Suzuki, perhaps hinting the Red Sox know something the rest of the league doesn’t. If Suzuki proves to be a Rays-like bargain, he could be a staple in Boston for years to come.

So, signing Suzuki while not inheriting much risk is a tough ask, but there is a way.

Suzuki is in the market for a five-year, $55 million deal, per MLB Trade Rumors. So let’s start there.

On the surface, the offer would be just that much, but Boston could include some incentives to sweeten the pot. Give contract incentives for personal accomplishments, like All-Star appearances, while adding in a team option after three years to ensure Boston gets enough return on its investment. This way, if Suzuki doesn’t live up to the hype, the Red Sox won’t lose nearly as much money.

A partial no-trade clause could help matters, too. Give Suzuki the right to veto trades to, say, a third of the league.

All of this will be negotiated thoroughly, but as anyone can see, there’s plenty of wiggle room to make this less stressful for everyone involved.