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

[PrinceFielderx1]

Tom H Link to story.

[Bombers]

Wow ... Didn't see this coming. I like it.

[JimH5]

4 homers last year, which is 4 more than I hit.

 

Is he Juan Pierre?

 

I'm not excited about that.

[Bombers]

4 homers last year, which is 4 more than I hit.

 

Is he Juan Pierre?

 

I'm not excited about that.

 

 

4 is also more than Kotsay hit. Just saying. That's whose spot he would get. (as our roster currently stands)

[pogokat]

So, this year's Kotsay is Japanese...cool...if he'll sign a 2 year deal for less than 2 million a year, then i'll bite...but it's gonna kill me if he gets more than we would've paid hairston...or punto

[bucksman4]

I'd be all for trading Nyjer. His value will never be this high and I think his shenanigans may get old very quickly. He already started getting borderline obnoxious last year playing the role of Plush instead of being himself like he was early in the year.

[AdvantageSchneider]

Funny but I seem to remember Doug talking about some other Japaneses player and how tough it was to scout a Japaneses player and that it didn't pay to try and bring them in since they didn't know them that well. Apparently the Brewers have intensified their Japanese scouting in the last 4-6 weeks.

 

Hope he works out.

[madtowndrunkard]

Awesome....now we can trade Braun.

[Ennder]

This makes sense, hedges towards Braun missing time and towards Gamel stinking at 1B since you can move Hart there since he is so terrible in the field now.

[Oldcity]

That link to the translated report is new sig-worthy.

[reillymcshane]

Funny but I seem to remember Doug talking about some other Japaneses player and how tough it was to scout a Japaneses player and that it didn't pay to try and bring them in since they didn't know them that well. Apparently the Brewers have intensified their Japanese scouting in the last 4-6 weeks.

 

Hope he works out.

yeah, i thought the same thing. he dismissed Nakajima - the shortstop whom the yankees ended up getting - because they didn't know anything about him.

[MVP2110]

I am a big fan of this move assuming we can get either a 2/5 or 3/7 type deal out of him. I would love him as a 4th of and starter when someone eventually gets hurt

[The Truth]

Wouldn't this player need a year or so in AAA first, or is he actually ready for MLB right now? A .298 batting average in Japan equals what in MLB? .258?

 

Fukudome batted .294 in Japan at age 30...

 

http://www.baseball-refer...ayer.cgi?id=fukudo001kos

 

But hey if scouts are saying he's the best Japanese hitter since Ichiro, then I'm glad we have a shot at him... at what price though? I thought our payroll was already busted. Is there a corresponding move coming? Trading K-Rod? Trading Hart? I hope not. K-Rod and Hart are proven MLB players, legit difference makers. Aoki is a huge roll of the dice

[bullox]

Watching the first video in this thread makes me wish we had a lot more Back to the Future theme music at ballparks over here.

[GAME05]

a more fun risk/reward/mystery player than the alternative scrappy veteran would be. i can't imagine he's any kind of domino to a future move, though. maybe more expensive than the typical fill-in, but maybe also he represents some added revenue streams. nobody was going out to grab Kotsay jerseys, but i bet we'll sell some Aoki ones. plus maybe now all eight Japanese people in Milwaukee will attend more games.

 

i only hesitate on trading Morgan because i wonder if he really drove the character of the team last year. maybe some fans thought that T.Plus was annoying, but who knows what the team thought. maybe he's always TPlush to the media, but maybe he isn't behind closed doors. and if he only nets us another version of Cutter Dykstra, then what's the point?

[PKBadger]

I think Aoki could be the kind of spark plug this team desperately needs.

 

 

http://natslose100.webs.com/marbles2.jpg

[clancyphile]

I think he could do well... and what excites me is the 260:239 BB/K ratio from 2007-2010.

 

No - that is no typo.

 

Looks like a Taylor Green who can swipe 20 bases a year.

[Mass Haas]

Ironically, Brewers will be negotiating with Ryan Braun's agent, Nez Balelo, during contract talks for Aoki.

[Mass Haas]

Jon Heyman had projected this on Nov. 21st:

Norichika Aoki. Three-time batting champ is supposed to be the best pure hitter to come from Japan since Ichiro. Projection: $10 million posting. $15 million, three years.

 

As some have noted, let's really limit the Ichiro comparisons. However, a seeming bargain thus far...Doug's probably in shock he won out. But at least he was in on the dance, nice.

[igor67]

I like that I'm surprised, but I do not have a good sense of how his stats will translate so that makes me pretty ambivalent. A high average higher OBP guy with good defense in LF, moving into a bench slot when Braun's suspension is over sounds great. Juan Pierre without the steals, much less exciting. And at this point I could believe either end of that spectrum.

[PilprinBuddha]

would Fukedome be a better comparison than Ichiro?

[theavrock]

would Fukedome be a better comparison than Ichiro?

Probably, but the dude is a better Japanese hitter than Fukudome was and has been more consistent. Last year was basically the first year he ever hit under .300 and other than that has never hit below .320.

Fukudome had more power in Japan, but Aoki has some power too. The guy hit better and more consistently than Fukudome but not on the same level as Ichiro.

 

This is a good move.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I have to wonder if Aoki is going to want to play in Milwaukee, given the current alignment. Sure, he'd get to start for the first 50 games, but after that, if Morgan/Gomez are still here, there's not exactly going to be much playing time for him. I'd think it's at least possible he looks at the playing time situation in Milwaukee, and decides to stay in Japan.

[PilprinBuddha]

That is assuming.....

 

Gomez can stay healthy...ever

Morgan will not wear out his welcome.

 

Neither of the above have a good track record. If he is a legit Major leaguer...sign him if you can. We need another Outfielder.

[Invader3K]

I know Gomez missed a lot of time last year, but other than that he hasn't really been injury prone. And Morgan has done nothing in Milwaukee to make anyone think he'll wear out his welcome. Quite the opposite in fact.