The Astros announced today that they’ve claimed outfielder Nori Aoki off waivers from the Mariners. As MLB.com’s Greg Johns pointed out earlier today (on Twitter), there’s been a public misconception that Aoki is eligible for free agency because his option didn’t vest and because his previous contracts allowed him to hit free agency upon their completion. That doesn’t appear to have been the case with the one-year deal he inked in Seattle last offseason, and he’ll now be controllable by the Astros via arbitration for the 2017 season.
[Related: Updated Houston Astros depth chart]
Aoki, 35 in January, will give Houston an option to take some at-bats in left field next season in the wake of Colby Rasmus’ impending departure. He’ll bring a contact-oriented approach to the Astros that represents something of a departure from the strikeout-prone bats with which Houston has been comfortable in recent years. Aoki hit .283/.349/.388 in 467 plate appearances and struck out at just a 9.6 percent clip with Seattle last year after signing a one-year deal in the offseason.
That contract guaranteed Aoki $5.5MM and came with a vesting option for the 2017 season, but Aoki fell 13 PAs shy of triggering that guaranteed 2017 payday. It would appear that the Mariners sought to outright Aoki, thereby allowing him to re-enter the free agent market, but he’ll now head to Houston as an arbitration eligible player. Presumably, he’s the front-runner for everyday at-bats in left field right now, where he’ll bring a career .286/.353/.387 slash and minuscule eight percent strikeout rate to the table. That’ll position the Astros to deploy an outfield with Aoki in left in budding star George Springer in right field. As it currently stands, defensive standout Jake Marisnick will get the bulk of the at-bats in center field, although the Astros have a number of versatile pieces that could allow them to pursue a variety of avenues this offseason.
Springer, for instance, could shift over to center field — especially now that Tal’s Hill has been removed from Minute Maid Park — and allow the Astros to pursue a big-time corner outfield bat. Alternatively, Houston could give Alex Bregman and/or Yulieski Gurriel some time in left field with Aoki covering right field and Springer taking some turns in center, thus freeing up more room for a corner infield/designated hitter addition.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Wait, what? So Seattle didn’t realize that he was still controllable for another season?
That’s a steal for the Astros.
You obviously didn’t see Aoki play in the outfield last year. He is officially a liability.
I’m sure you didn’t see him play. Have you seen some of the plays he’s made and thrown guys out at the plate? Obviously not. Aoki is a good outfielder.
This was 2015 but he hasn’t changed his name as far as I know.
youtube.com/watch?v=U-cfzA2FhLI
You shouldn’t comment when you don’t know what you’re talking about.
I watched every single Mariners game last year. He is not a serviceable outfielder as an every day player. He cost us games with his defense and his base running was even worse. Defense isn’t just measured in errors. The amount of balls he could not/wouldn’t get to was ridiculous. Safeco is a spacious outfield and he is so worried about colliding with the CF that he shies away from balls that are hit anywhere outside a very small bubble. Aoki was a rally killer for half the season and while he did redeem himself with his OBP the second half, his base running was still awful and cost us key runs during the final playoff push. I’m happy to see him go to another team in our division. Let him make errors and base running miscues somewhere else.
@davbee He’s already thrown someone out at the plate this year. LMAO at people like you that know nothing. 3 multi hit games and hits in high leverage situations. Laughable some people on these boards.
No, Seattle knew. They had an option they deliberately kept him from reaching and were trying to outright him when Houston claimed him.
However, it wasn’t common knowledge that Aoki wouldn’t hit free agency, as far as I can tell. His previous contracts allowed him to hit the open market upon their completion, but clearly that wasn’t the case with his Mariners deal.
Yeah, even the various M’s blogs just seemed to assume he was a free agent, but a closer inspection of Cot’s Baseball Contracts show that his previous contracts with Milwaukee in 2012 and 2013(with a 2014 option) and with San Francisco in 2015 show that he had to negotiate as part of each contract that he become a regular free agent at the end of each of those contracts(which many players from Japan have done as well, or been given the right to do as of their initial entry into MLB).
Aoki had only 4 years of service time as of the end of 2015 and didn’t accrue a full year of service time this year because the M’s optioned him to AAA during the season, meaning he may be controlled for this offseason AND next offseason–i.e.he’ll have less than 5 years of service time at the end of this season and less than 6 years of service time next offseason.
It also means that he probably won’t be negotiating the right to be a free agent anymore, since he is now team controlled. He can avoid arbitration and get 1-year contracts for 2017 and 2018, but he won’t have the right to negotiate into the contract the right to be a free agent, just like any other MLB player with less than 6 years of service time.
I see why it was somewhat smart of the M’s to do this, but then to not try to trade him and get something for him but instead pass him through outright assignment waivers and have him get claimed and get nothing?
Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. 😉
Noooooooooooo
I think Seattle should sign Rasmus, not because of this but because he would be a good fit if he stays healthy.
Noooooo nori!!!!
The M’s do NOT need Nori. This is a good thing. His defense was atrocious and cost us games. We missed the playoffs by just one game and his noodle arm cost us so many times this year not to mention how many times he was thrown out on the bases. He thinks he is much faster than what he is and ran into so many outs it was pathetic. I’m happy to see a 35 year old outfielder who is a bad baserunner and is terrible on defense go.
M’s did not miss the play offs because of Aoki, they had a sub par bullpen and relied way too much on Cano, Seager, Cruz to score runs, they platooned Lee & Lind, they had a rookie closer, Cishek lost & blew many games, and the pitching rotation is subpar apart from King Felix, Paxton & Iwakuma. Miley is rubbish and got traded, Walker is inconsistent but has upside. Aoki had a .283 ba and obp of .349 So tell me who are you going to lead off with now?
Laughable…. At LF he had 4 assists and turned two double plays and fielded 1000. “Terrible on defense”, indeed….
Aoki 2015 youtube.com/watch?v=U-cfzA2FhLI He really looks like a poor defender….
Just gotta say, I get a kick out of the fact that the Mariners roster moves article from yesterday is locked for comments because it mentions Steve Clevenger.
First it says he’s an option for some at bats then it goes on to say he’s the front runner for every day at bats. The guy improved through the course of the article.
He has still chance to become non-tender FA.
And,how much money would he get if he go to salary arbitration?
Crap. The Orioles could have used him.