The Brewers are "just finalizing things" on a multiyear deal with Norichika Aoki, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Earlier, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy wrote of a consensus at Miller Park that a deal gets done before today's 4pm central time deadline.
The Brewers won the rights to negotiate with Aoki with a $2.5MM bid in December. The 30-year-old outfielder hit .292/.358/.360 for the Yakult Swallows last year and would assume a bench role for Milwaukee.
Aoki is going to be A-Ok…
So much Brewers news in one day, wow!
So would this be the lineup?:
CF Morgan
LF Aoki
2B Weeks
RF Hart
3B Ramirez
1B Gamel
SS Gonzalez
C Lucroy
Then at game 51:
CF Morgan
RF Aoki
2B Weeks
LF Braun
3B Ramirez
1B Hart (unless Gamel is hitting well, then Hart to OF and Aoki to bench)
SS Gonzalez
C Lucroy
I think ARam will be batting cleanup and Weeks 5th. Hart might still bat leadoff as well, depending if Aoki is good in that position or not.
Also, Lucroy bats higher in the order. AGon will likely bat 8th.
I wonder what they paid this guy? I think he might be a pleasant surprise.