Aoki a FA after 2014

[ewitkows]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/07/aoki-can-become-free-agent-after-2014.html

 

Aoki Can Become Free Agent After 2014

By Steve Adams [July 1 at 3:22pm CST]

 

When the Brewers signed Norichika Aoki to a two-year deal with a club option for 2014 prior to the 2012 season, the belief around baseball was that Aoki would remain under team control as an arbitration-eligible player following completion of that contract. That belief has held until today, but MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports that Aoki's contract contains language that allows him to become a free agent upon the expiration of his current deal.

 

McCalvy confirmed the information with Aoki's agent, Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, as well as Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash. There had already been speculation that the Brewers could listen to trade offers on Aoki, but knowing that his proximity to free agency is three years closer than most realized, it's likely that GM Doug Melvin is more open to dealing Aoki than previously thought.

 

The Brewers won negotiation rights with Aoki by submitting a $2.5MM posting fee, and they signed him to a heavily incentivized two-year, $2.5MM contract with a club option for 2014. The club option is for a mere $1.5MM, so it will absolutely be exercised by the Brewers or an acquiring team, barring a catastrophic injury.

 

Aoki is a .287/.357/.410 hitter with 14 homers and 39 stolen bases in 227 Major League games. A three-time batting champion in Japan, the 31-year-old has transitioned his game to the Major Leagues beautifully. Fangraphs values his MLB production to date at 3.2 wins above replacement, though that's been weighed down by some poor baserunning in 2013 (Aoki has been caught stealing in eight of his 17 attempts). Aoki's overall production and incredibly reasonable price tag should make him a tantalizing trade chip for teams in need of outfield help, should the Brewers choose to deal him.

 

 

And the hits keep coming

[brewmann04]

Dm needs put him on the trade List too

[jjkoestler]

I have a lot of thoughts on this, but none of the language is appropriate for BF.

[pogokat]

this is about when we find out that Jean Segura is actually 44 year old Omar Vizquel

[Thurston Fluff]

It sucks for us but I am happy for him. Given how he's played and carried himself since he's been here I think a shot at free agency while he still has value is well deserved.

[monty57]

Well, this isn't good news, but I think this makes it pretty likely he's traded. With his price tag and production, I would think he'd be able to bring back some useful talent in trade.

[trwi7]

We should trade him assuming we get a good offer. We have depth in the outfield, we're not going to be contenders next year, no way should he get a qualifying offer and he's going to be 33 when he's a free agent. That's another player to sell.

[TooLiveBrew]

this is about when we find out that Jean Segura is actually 44 year old Omar Vizquel

 

Well played!

[brewcrewdue80]

This is great news!

There isn't an excuse to not trade Aoki now. Seriously all the AAAA OF guys we have.

Aoki's value should be a hott commodity with his OB%

 

How big a prospect could be netted in return for Aoki?

[Baldkin]

So, what changed since then and now when McCalvy reported the exact opposite in February?

 

http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130225&content_id=41977008&vkey=news_mil&c_id=mil

 

Aoki, who is represented by the same agency as Braun, CAA Sports, will earn $1.25 million this season in the second guaranteed season of his two-year deal. The Brewers hold a $1.5 million option for 2014 with a $250,000 buyout, but will own Aoki's rights for his first six years of Major League service, just like any other player. Assuming he plays this season and next in the Majors, Aoki would be arbitration eligible starting in the 2014-15 offseason.

[TooLiveBrew]

So, what changed since then and now when McCalvy reported the exact opposite in February?

If you read the McCalvy blog piece referenced in the MLBTR post (I just updated the lead post with a link to the MLBTR page), you find the following:

 

Previously, a club official told MLB.com that Aoki’s two-year contract, which runs through the end of 2013 and has a $1.5 million option for 2014, did not include language calling for the Brewers to release him when that deal is up. Under that scenario, assuming the Brewers exercised his ’14 option (a near certainty considering Aoki’s successful transition to the U.S. Major Leagues and reasonable price tag), Aoki would have had three years of arbitration-eligibility from 2015-17 and would have remained Brewers property.

 

But that is not the case, according to Aoki’s agent, Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, and Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash, who double-checked the language in the contract on Monday. It includes language stipulating Aoki will be an untethered free agent at the end of his current deal, whether or not the Brewers exercise their option.

[reillymcshane]

This sucks, simply because it lowers Aoki's trade value.

 

I love the guy, but he's not going to be a part of the next winning Brewer team. We should deal him - along with a lot of other guys.

[brewmann04]

i still think we can find a team willing to pay for Aoki.

[DHonks]

this isn't news. We knew when he signed that there would be language that prevented him from being offered arbitration. Great reporting by looking at stories from January 2012.

[trwi7]

this isn't news.

 

Yes it is, considering McCalvy, you know that respected beat writer talked to a club official who thought he would go through arbitration only to find out now that he won't and will be a free agent after 2014.

[DHonks]

trwi7, I didn't read all the previous posts, so I didn't know the contradiction. But when we signed him, this was widely reported as I've told people this for 1 1/2 years now. I didn't make it up, so I remember reading it somewhere. Seems somewhere along the line the signals got crossed

[brewmann04]

the bottom line if we geta good offer for him he gone to.

[brewmann04]

the bottom line if we get a good offer for him he gone to.

[Funketown]

It's disappointing, but how much more will Aoki even get on the FA market? He's going to be 32 years old in 2014, and I doubt he'll command more than a 2/$10-$12 deal on the FA market if he keeps up what he's done for the past 1.5 years.

 

I'd rather have him around at the discounted rate, but it's not a huge blow.

[TooLiveBrew]

trwi7, I didn't read all the previous posts, so I didn't know the contradiction. But when we signed him, this was widely reported as I've told people this for 1 1/2 years now. I didn't make it up, so I remember reading it somewhere. Seems somewhere along the line the signals got crossed

Interesting. I don't remember this being reported at the time he was signed.

[TooLiveBrew]

trwi7, I didn't read all the previous posts, so I didn't know the contradiction. But when we signed him, this was widely reported as I've told people this for 1 1/2 years now. I didn't make it up, so I remember reading it somewhere. Seems somewhere along the line the signals got crossed

Interesting. I don't remember this being reported at the time he was signed.

[crossface21]

Baseball-reference has had him(and still does) listed as not becoming a FA until 2018. It sounds as if that is now wrong, but I'm sure a lot of people may get their info from there hence a lot of people thinking he was under control for a lot longer than thru 2014.

[DHonks]

crossface, he does not become a free agent after 2013/2014. What happens is the Brewers are not allowed to offer arbitration, thus making him a free agent.

[JohnBriggs12]

I don't think it affects his trade value too much this year as teams would still get another year out of him at a very reasonable cost. Where it would affect it would be if the Brewers held on to him and tried to deal him next year. He'll be 33 at the start of his next contract. He'll get paid nicely but I don't see him getting a mega deal anywhere. As valuable as he could have been had this team contended, his value now is more in what he can bring in a trade. I still don't buy that they can't turn things around quickly though I think they can with or without Aoki. I see this Brewer team as similar to the 2012 Rockies that lost 98 games. They are around .500 now which is much more in line with their talent and yes the Brewers division is tough, but the the NL West looked tough going into this year too.

[dlk9s]

Trade Aoki to the Clippers for Bledsoe.