Giants sign free agent Nori Aoki in hopes of solidifying outfield
The San Francisco Giants, perpetually on a quest to put together a suitable outfield, have turned to one of their recent rivals.
They’ve reportedly agreed to a one-year deal worth $4.7 million with Nori Aoki, whom they last saw playing across the diamond for the Kansas City Royals in the World Series.
Aoki, 33, plays an adventurous outfield, but he’s pretty consistent with his bat. You know you’re getting a .285/.350/.385 hitter, who will hit a couple homers, drive in some runs (43 last season) and steal a few bases (he’s averaged 25 over three seasons).
That’s worth a one-year, buy-low deal for the Giants, who will put Aoki in left field now that Michael Morse has left in free agency. John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle was the first to report the deal, and he adds the following details about bonuses and a potential second year:
One thing worth noting here: When the World Series traveled to San Francisco last October, the Royals actually benched Aoki because they were concerned about his defense in right field. Maybe that fact doesn’t bode well for the Giants here, or maybe they just don’t care. (And playing left at AT&T isn’t as tricky as right).
The Giants put Morse in left last year, and he’s certainly not a stellar defender. They also put Travis Ishikawa in left in the postseason despite him never playing the position before. San Francisco is missing some offensive pop after Pablo Sandoval left for Boston, and Aoki certainly isn’t going to replace that. But at least he’s a bargain who, at his best, is worth about 3.0 WAR.
Plus, it’s hard to question the Giants’ thinking when they’re coming off three World Series wins in five years.
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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
