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MLB free agency rumors: Giants, Orioles interested in Nori Aoki

By Hayden Kane

Oct 5, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Nori Aoki (23) prior to game three of the 2014 ALDS baseball playoff game against the Los Angels Angels at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 5, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Nori Aoki (23) prior to game three of the 2014 ALDS baseball playoff game against the Los Angels Angels at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /
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Outfielder Nori Aoki is being targeted by the San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles as MLB free agency rolls along after the new year.

The Kansas City Royals‘ outfield gained notoriety during the team’s run to the 2014 World Series. The defense of Lorenzo Cain, Alex Gordon, and Jarrod Dyson filled the highlight reels as the Kansas City bandwagon got crowded and more crowded by the day.

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Nori Aoki also made appearances on said highlight reels, albeit with some more adventurous routes to catch fly balls. More importantly, what Aoki did was establish his value as a solid all-around outfielder and a guy who is good at making contact at the top a Major League lineup.

The 32-year-old Japanese outfielder is now a free agent, and in an off-season that is slim on position player talent, he is sought after by a number of teams. Signing Nori Aoki won’t move the needle too much, but he is a career .287 hitter in three years in the big leagues and can be a meaningful contributor on a contending team.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles are among the teams interested in Aoki:

"Aoki was seeking a three-year deal, and while it’s still a possibility, conversations with teams have centered mostly around a two-year deal. The Orioles have definite interest in Aoki as a replacement for Nick Markakis, who signed a four-year deal with the Braves. Aoki also has some appeal to the Giants."

As Cafardo notes, the Orioles make sense for Aoki because he could serve as a bridge while the team looks to replace the departed Markakis. As for the Giants, they would likely look at Aoki as a candidate to take the lion’s share of the playing time in left field.

If that scenario did play out in San Francisco, it would be a fairly comical transition: the Giants would go from the hulking Michael Morse to the relatively diminutive Aoki from one season to the next.

In three big league seasons, Aoki has compiled 7.5 WAR (wins above replacement). 2014 actually turned out to be the worst of Aoki’s three seasons. He posted 3.4 WAR in 2012 and 3.1 WAR in 2013 while playing for Milwaukee Brewers. He posted 1.0 WAR for the Royals last season.

For a contending team, Nori Aoki can be a solid role player who can come through in big spots. In that sense, the Orioles and Giants both seem like logical landing spots for him.

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