After a magnificent start to 2015 for the San Francisco Giants, outfielder Nori Aoki suffered a concussion and was unable to return to action for a prolonged period of time.
San Francisco declined a $5.5 million club option on Aoki, leading the Japanese standout to sign with the Seattle Mariners.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports first reported the deal, while Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports confirmed the agreement.
Rosenthal noted how the deal ties into Seattle’s offseason strategy:
A fractured fibula and a concussion limited Aoki to 93 games, which stymied a hot beginning to his 2015 campaign.
Prior to the All-Star break, the Japanese standout had a .317 batting average but slipped to .204 in his final 93 at-bats. That slump—albeit brought on by health issues—gave Seattle at least some leverage to negotiate for Aoki at an even greater bargain.
San Francisco general manager Bobby Evans discussed Aoki’s impact after the team declined his option and expressed interest in bringing him back.
“It’s been something we’ve processed in a lot of discussions in our offseason meetings,” said Evans, per the San Jose Mercury News‘ Andrew Baggarly. “He got hurt before the break that prevented him from being an All-Star. He was a big part of igniting our offense early in the season and played a significant role.”
Unfortunately for the Giants, the Mariners stepped in and were willing to pay Aoki a little more.
If Seattle is getting the Aoki from the first half of last season, it is going to have a legitimate everyday starter who knows how to get on base and provides exceptional defense.
Aoki’s speed makes him a threat to steal on the basepaths and aids his range in the outfield, where he can play all three positions. He still has impressive acceleration considering the excellent career he carved out in his native Japan before coming stateside in 2012.
As a member of three different teams in four MLB seasons, it has to be a bit of a challenge for Aoki to pick up and move again.
San Francisco made a bold move by not landing Aoki on its initial option. Such a tactic may come back to bite the Giants as they seek to return to the postseason after missing the playoffs in defense of their 2014 World Series title.
This latest change of scenery may be what Aoki needs as he seeks to make his mark in the MLB.
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