Brewers win negotiating rights to Japanese OF Norichika Aoki for $2.5 million. Latest: signs 2-yr deal

[reillymcshane]

AOKI!!!!

 

I have nothing to say about him. Just wanted to mention his name so it appears in his thread.

[monty57]

I'd rather have had Prince's .929 OPS.

 

Of course, so would everyone, but he just signed for $214MM, so that is not and never was an option.

 

AOKI!!!!

 

I have nothing to say about him. Just wanted to mention his name so it appears in his thread.

 

Thank you for that. While the Tigers got a great hitter, they overpaid as is normally the case in free agency. We just picked up Japan's best hitter for something like $1.5MM/year on two years with a team option. It's rare that you can get value in free agency, which I think we did, but talk about an under-the-radar signing... I've seen more national hype for an A-baller getting cut than I've seen for the Brewers signing Aoki.

 

If Braun is suspended, we picked up a Gold Glove-caliber defender who should be decent at getting on base to fill in for 50 games. If Braun is not suspended, we will have five good OF's on the roster, or we could look to trade Morgan and get something of value with Aoki taking over as platoon partner in CF. You never know how things will turn out, but I think this is going to be a good signing.

[thebruce44]

Problem I see is a lot more IBBs to Braun. Not to mention, there's no left to force an opposing team to take out a righty. The protection just ain't there for Ryan.

 

Losing Prince is a huge blow to the team. I'd rather have had Prince's .929 OPS.

Aramis will provide plenty of protection, the whole protection thing only really matters when you have a really weak player hitting behind you. Gamel has to step up to give us a power LH bat though or that could be a bit of an issue.

I feel like we do this once a month around here, the few holdouts who believe in protection clearly aren't going to change their opinion at this point. The rest of us aren't concerned. Regardless, even for the protection camp, ARam should provide all the protection Braun need...but who is going to protect ARam?!

[umphrey]

I think Aoki is going to be well worth what we paid for him. No one knows how his bat is going to make the transition, but I'd imagine a really good defensive player in Japan is going to be a really good defensive player here too. There isn't much difference, especially in the outfield where you don't have to communicate much throwing the ball around the infield. His bat is an unknown, but baseball is about adjustments, and he must be pretty good at that to have the awards he does. I'll quote Wikipedia here. It's obviously not a good place to go for scouting reports but I've read real scouts say pretty much the same thing but in pieces

 

Listed at 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) and 80 kg (180 lb), Aoki is described as a protoypical contact hitter for his ability to spray the ball to all fields and utilize his speed on the bases to stretch singles into doubles and doubles into triples. Slotted into the 2-hole in front of current Tigers shortstop Takashi Toritani, Aoki became adept at hitting infield singles to the left side of the infield to get on base during his years at Waseda University. He carried that same approach into the pros, going the opposite way for infield hits and singles to left field so often that teams began employing an "Aoki Shift", with the third baseman playing shallow and the shortstop shading the 5-6 hole, until 2006.

 

Aoki has developed more power with each successive season and has now established himself as a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat that can pull the ball as well as hit for a high average (.333 career batting average as of May 13, 2009).[26] He is known to be slightly unusual in that he has several different batting stances in his repertoire. While most players shape their mechanics to perfection, Aoki does not hesitate to switch from one stance to another when he runs into hitless stretches (though he holds his bat much more upright than he did earlier in his career). He has attested to the importance of lower body movement to his hitting in interviews.

[monty57]

"Protection" aside, the Brewers should have a good lineup next year.

 

If Braun is suspended, we have Aoki & Morgan at the top of the order getting on base for Hart, Ramirez & Weeks, followed by Gamel, Lucroy and Gonzalez.

 

When Braun is playing, we have all kinds of options, but I'd guess we'll move Hart or Weeks back to leadoff and go something like Weeks, Morgan/Aoki, Hart, Braun, Ramirez or Hart, Morgan/Aoki, Bruan, Ramirez, Weeks. Followed by Gamel, Lucroy and Gonzalez. Moving Lucroy or Gonzalez to #2 when Gomez is in.

 

With the moves Melvin's made this offseason we shouldn't have many holes in the lineup this year, so unless Roenicke gets really crazy (starting Izturis at 2B/3B on a regular basis or sitting Gamel regularly so he can play Morgan in RF and Hart at 1B) then I think our offense will be A-OK, and our defense should be vastly improved.

[Bombers]

Protection is mostly myth. Prince had a terrific year with McGehee struggling behind him for most of it. Braun will take more walks and possibly hit for less power, but there has never been a player so good that having a 1.000 OBP hurts the team offensively. That's why the IBB is rarely good strategy, unless the extra run(s) do not matter (already behind 5-3, 8th inning, it makes little difference if you give up a run or three).

I agree as "protection" doesn't necessarily have to mean the player that bats after someone. Braun's protection will be the guys on base when he is at the plate, thus forcing the team to pitch to him. McGehee batting after Fielder is a perfect example. That played no factor in the opposing teams approach. With guys on, and 1B open, they walked him regardless of who was in the 5 hole (McGehee, Hart, Weeks) ... Braun will get the same treatment. I don't think that alone is going to change Braun's numbers drastically.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

Yeah, if teams want to guarantee a 1.000 OPS plate appearance to Braun by walking him, I'm all for it. If your lineup isn't deep enough to produce out of the 5-6-7 spots, you have much bigger problems than worrying about whether Braun is IBB'd 5 times or 25 times in a season.

[logan82]

My expectations for Aoki are similar to Fukudome's production.(probably not that good actually) I don't think he is a top of the lineup guy on this team.

[HiAndTight]

My expectations for Aoki are similar to Fukudome's production.(probably not that good actually) I don't think he is a top of the lineup guy on this team.

I see absolutely no way in which if he produced similar to Fukudome with the added benefit of speed, that he wouldn't be a top of the lineup guy on this team.

 

Is there another guy capable of posting .375/.371 and .359 OBP over the next three years.

 

 

Edit-Let me add, other than Braun and MAYBE Weeks, and obviously Braun isn't leading off or hitting second. In fact, Fukudome with speed sounds almost ideal to my way of thinking. I expect less power, better defense. But he'd be an ideal #1 hitter for this team if he was a regular and a great #2 if he was a part time guy(just a personal thing, like having more consistency at #1/3/4.

[MVP2110]

So Aoki finally is getting introduced tomorrow? Heard they are expecting a ton of Japanese media. What are you guys expecting from tomorrows presser? anything significant?

 

and does anyone know why he still isnt on the brewers.com depth chart?

[ilovebeer]

Just reported to camp and is being fitted for his uniform tweets Adam M of brewers.com

[Invader3K]

Is the press conference going to be streamed?

 

Edit: No stream, but McCalvy has some photos and comments here: http://brewers.mlblogs.com/2012/02/23/photos-from-aoki-press-conference/

[ilovebeer]

In a tweet by Todd Rosiak said Rickie Weeks was impressed by his quick hand and on his 4th pitch went yard.

[ilovebeer]

This is cute also from a tweet saying he father loves beer, and things Rickie has the biggest biceps he seen in a second basemen.

[MVP2110]

Question about Aoki's deal? Idk if this has already been answered but what happens after the 3 years is up? Is he a Free agent or do we retain his arbitration years as well?

[umphrey]

What to do with Aoki now? I think he'll be a really good player, like maybe 3 WAR per 150 games, but how are we going to find out? There isn't much logic to playing Aoki over Morgan against RHP or over Gomez against LHP. LF and RF are locked down. You can shuffle Hart to 1B but then you are playing Aoki over Gamel.

 

I don't see Aoki as someone you need to platoon, from what I understand he hits both sides pretty well. What days does he crack the line up though?

[Invader3K]

A lot will come down to how he performs in spring training, I'd suppose.

[monty57]

What to do with Aoki now? I think he'll be a really good player, like maybe 3 WAR per 150 games, but how are we going to find out? There isn't much logic to playing Aoki over Morgan against RHP or over Gomez against LHP. LF and RF are locked down. You can shuffle Hart to 1B but then you are playing Aoki over Gamel.

 

I don't see Aoki as someone you need to platoon, from what I understand he hits both sides pretty well. What days does he crack the line up though?

 

Yeah, as nice as the Braun decision is, it opens up a question here. If the Brewers believe in Aoki, they should start shopping Morgan. Aoki could make a good pinch hitter, but you may be wasting his talents there, and it would mean that Taylor Green (if he's on the bench) would get absolutely no PA's this season. I'd rather get something for Morgan, platoon Aoki & Gomez in CF and pick up a RH corner OF who would be our #1 RH bat off the bench, and the guy who plays RF on the days Corey is at 1B.

 

It will be interesting to see if Melvin goes with what he has, or if he decides to make a move.

[sbrylski]

The "how are we going to get this guy playing time" always seems to work out on its own. I have optimism for Aoki as well, but there's nothing wrong with having him adjust to the league this season as a 200-300 AB bench player. Mark Kotsay got 255 PA's last year, Aoki will get his.

[Dragonbait]

Ok, now that we've 'seen' him in person (albeit for only one game, and it was pretty late)

 

anyone have any thoughts on his outing last night?

 

His batting stance, just like most Japan players, is gonna get some getting used to...

[Jaycruiser99]

He has the very common Japanese swinging bunt technique... until his last at bat he didnt seem to have power in it.... and I am not talking about HR power but line drive gapping power.

[umphrey]

HR off Kershaw today

[Madtown343]

Guy is red hot, and his approach at the plate will fit excellent as a pinch hitter. He runs well, and by all accounts is a good defender.

 

Well suited for a 4th OF, especially NL.