Free-agent outfielder Shane Victorino, the only Maui-born All-Star in major league history, confirmed via Twitter that he agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.
According to Major League Baseball's website, the deal, not yet confirmed by the team, is reportedly for $39 million over three years, pending a physical.
"Just agreed to join the Boston Red Sox in the middle of paradise," Victorino tweeted with the hashtag "BLESSED" followed by three exclamation points. "Can't wait to get to Boston!"
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Shane Victorino finished last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers after being traded from the Philadelphia Phillies in August. He is the only Maui-born All-Star in major league history, and holds or shares the top career totals for Hawaii-born players in home runs, stolen bases, runs, doubles and triples.
AP file photo
Victorino is on Maui this week to host a golf tournament that will benefit his foundation.
Victorino, who turned 32 on Friday, set a career high with 39 stolen bases last year, which he spent with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers. His batting average of .255 was a career low for a full season. The 1999 St. Anthony High School graduate hit 11 home runs with 55 RBIs and 72 runs.
In nine seasons in the big leagues, Victorino has a .275 average, and his 90 homers are tied with Mike Lum for the most by a Hawaii-born major leaguer. Victorino has driven in 409 runs, and his 201 stolen bases rank first among players from the Aloha State.
Victorino's career has been spent primarily as a center fielder, and he won three consecutive Gold Gloves with the Phillies from 2008 to 2010. According to the story on the Red Sox site, Victorino would likely play right field for Boston this year. The team's contract with current center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury will expire after the 2013 season.
Fenway Park has a large right field - the fence in deep right is 380 feet from home plate, and the distance down the line is 302.
"It's probably the toughest right field in baseball to play, just in terms of the space to cover," Boston manager John Farrell was quoted as saying on the team's site, "so that range comes into play. It might not be your prototypical right fielder where it's a power bat, because we do value the defense in that area. That's not to exclude anyone, but defense takes a high priority, in that position at Fenway particularly."
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington was quoted as saying: "In our ballpark, we'd like to have someone who's played a lot of center in right field - if we can."
Victorino had nine assists last season, tied for sixth among National League outfielders, and a .994 fielding percentage. In 2011, he did not commit an error in 296 total chances.
Victorino was named to the NL All-Star team in 2009 and 2011. His 1,060 hits, 195 doubles, 65 triples and 616 runs also top the list among Hawaii born players.
Victorino began his major league career in 2003, appearing in 36 games with the San Diego Padres.
He spent all of 2004 and much of 2005 in the minor leagues - in 2005 he was named the International League's MVP while with Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, the Phillies' Triple-A team, then was called up for 21 games with Philadelphia. He spent full seasons with the Phillies from 2006 to 2011, and last year was traded in August to the Dodgers, the team that originally signed him in 1999.
He batted .245 with two homers, 15 RBIs, 26 runs and 15 steals in 53 games with Los Angeles. He hit .261 in 101 games with Philadelphia last year.
According to Major League Baseball's website, the Cleveland Indians were also trying to acquire Victorino.
