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Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Frayed Knot Aug 30 2017 12:52 PM

No, not some hot new dining trend. The Blue Jays have released OF Norichika 'Nori' Aoki just a few weeks after trading for him from Houston. The 35 y/o in his 6th ML season (following eight in the Japanese Leagues) is career .285/.350/.388 including a somewhat diminished .274/.319/.402 this year Big acquisition? ... of course not, but here's the thing -- HE'S AN OUTFIELDER which, considering we have just two of those right now (one fewer than the traditional compliment of three) might not be a bad thing to have over the final five weeks. At worst the lefty-hitter former Brewer/Royal/Giant/Mariner/Astro/Blue Jay swaps time with the glove-less (and so far hitless) Travis Taijeron while keeping our infielders in the actual infield. Rosters expand in two days -- no in-house solutions appear to be apparent -- pro-rated minimum salary -- fills a temporary need -- can't hurt.

MFS62 Aug 30 2017 01:14 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Not a bad idea. I'd be for it. Later

bmfc1 Aug 30 2017 01:27 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Good idea. Better than seeing Jose in LF.

Chad Ochoseis Aug 30 2017 01:40 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

He'd be a hired gun who could make the difference between going 70-92 and 71-91 on the season. More wins are always better than fewer wins, but I don't feel too passionately about this. Since there's a good chance that Jose will be with us next year, and virtually no chance that Aoki would be on the 2018 roster, I'd just as soon see Jose getting the LF reps now and making himself that much more useful as a bench player in 2018.

smg58 Aug 30 2017 01:48 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Jose has barely been above replacement level, due in some part to poor defense as an infielder. I could have seen some sentimental value in having him and Wright man the left side of the infield for one last game, but sentiment is basically all the value he has left, and at any rate Wright's shoulder isn't cooperating. I don't see a problem with having a third qualified major-league outfielder on our team the rest of the way.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 30 2017 04:36 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Chad Ochoseis wrote: He'd be a hired gun who could make the difference between going 70-92 and 71-91 on the season. More wins are always better than fewer wins, but I don't feel too passionately about this. Since there's a good chance that Jose will be with us next year, and virtually no chance that Aoki would be on the 2018 roster, I'd just as soon see Jose getting the LF reps now and making himself that much more useful as a bench player in 2018. Are more wins really better than fewer wins, at this point?

Chad Ochoseis Aug 30 2017 04:55 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Yeah, I'd say so. There's a definite scale of importance here. Exchange a win in 2018 for a win in 2017? No way, Jose (or Norichka). Move down a couple of positions in the 2018 draft in exchange for a couple of wins in 2017? Sure. I don't know if anyone has calculated the expected value in future wins per season that we'd lose if we moved from our current middling spot to a slightly lower middling spot, but if it were more than 0.03 (with a high standard deviation on that 0.03), I'd be shocked. I'd trade that for a couple of "meaningless" 2017 victories. And, as someone (Ceetar, I think) pointed out once, the better the team plays, the more value we can get for our guys in an offseason trade. So there's some marginal value to winning besides the intrinsic value that winning always has. It's just not very much. So, LET'S GO METS (kind of, sort of)!!!

Ceetar Aug 30 2017 05:24 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Chad Ochoseis wrote: And, as someone (Ceetar, I think) pointed out once, the better the team plays, the more value we can get for our guys in an offseason trade. So there's some marginal value to winning besides the intrinsic value that winning always has. It's just not very much. Well, we can rout for Flores to hit 15 more home runs and not care if it makes the Mets win or not. I know I've pondered if there is a marked difference in advertising and season ticket revenue for next season for say a 76 win second place finish versus a 71 win fourth place finish. I suspect .500 has sailed, but I feel like finishing as a 'winning season' gives more faith that next season will be better.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 30 2017 05:33 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Don't root for the team to lose, you guys. It's not like you have the foggiest notion of the difference between the 5th and 6th best available amateur players.

d'Kong76 Aug 30 2017 05:41 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Yeah! Root for a September to Remember... root for the Yankees to lose...

Frayed Knot Aug 30 2017 05:53 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Plus it's not like there are only a handful of games remaining, there are still Thirty-Fucking-One still to go and that's a long time to be faking it with two legit OFs. Nor would a potential Aoki pick-up mean that Reyes can't still get some reps out there for possible future utility purposes. Again, just a suggestion I came up with after seeing the note about him getting his release.

Lefty Specialist Aug 30 2017 06:08 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Jeez, there isn't ANYONE in the minors who can play the outfield competently? Picking up Aoki just sounds like a waste......

seawolf17 Aug 30 2017 06:20 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Lefty Specialist wrote: Jeez, there isn't ANYONE in the minors who can play the outfield competently? Picking up Aoki just sounds like a waste...... I agree. If he's not in the plans for 2018 -- and I can't think of a really compelling reason why he would be -- then he does nothing for us. I'd rather see what we've got in Travis Snider, I guess.

Nymr83 Aug 30 2017 06:54 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Lefty Specialist wrote: Jeez, there isn't ANYONE in the minors who can play the outfield competently? Picking up Aoki just sounds like a waste...... Well there is this one guy who might boost attendance and merchandise sales...

Edgy MD Aug 30 2017 06:55 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Lefty Specialist wrote: Jeez, there isn't ANYONE in the minors who can play the outfield competently? Picking up Aoki just sounds like a waste...... Sure there is. Just not necessarily as competently as Aoki at this stage in their development. But no, Tebow probably ain't one of them.

Benjamin Grimm Aug 30 2017 07:19 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

I think I read that the only other outfielder on the 40-man roster is Wuilmer Becerra, and he's all the way down in Single A. So to get an outfielder onto the major league roster they'd have to tinker with the 40-man.

Ceetar Aug 30 2017 07:50 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think I read that the only other outfielder on the 40-man roster is Wuilmer Becerra, and he's all the way down in Single A. So to get an outfielder onto the major league roster they'd have to tinker with the 40-man. Release Jose Reyes. done.

Edgy MD Aug 30 2017 07:58 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

There's room on the 40 and nobody has to be released. The real issue (to the extent that there is one) is that then you'd probably have to remove the guy you added (Jayce Boyd or Victor Cruzado?) and expose him over the winter, and possibly end up losing him even more pointlessly than they lost Adam Wilk. In that regard, the real alternatives to using Aoki as a fill-in are Travis Snider (injured at the present time) and Cody Decker, who stand as good a chance as any of being the Matt Watson and Mike Glavine of 2017.

seawolf17 Aug 30 2017 08:33 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Edgy MD wrote: Travis Snider (injured at the present time) Of course he is, because Mets.

Rockin' Doc Aug 31 2017 02:06 AM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

I really don't see a downside to LF's proposal of picking up Aoki for the remainder of the season. It would be nice to field a legitimate outfield for the remainder of the season. When the team is trying to hide catchers in the infield, use infielders in the outfield, and pitchers to pinch hit, then it is time to look at improving the roster for the remainder of the season.

bmfc1 Aug 31 2017 04:57 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Howie mentioned Aoki during today's game saying only that he's a free agent. It was part of a monologue of how few call-ups the Mets will likely have on September 1.

Frayed Knot Aug 31 2017 05:20 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

bmfc1 wrote: Howie mentioned Aoki during today's game saying only that he's a free agent. It was part of a monologue of how few call-ups the Mets will likely have on September 1. That's because if there were obvious worthy call-ups they'd have already been called up. Travis Snider has been mentioned in this thread for instance but I hardly see how that's a more worthy choice than Aoki. I mean Snider was picked up earlier in the year in essentially the same way that Aoki would be if they go that route, except that Snider has somewhat worse numbers as compared to Aoki AND he hasn't faced a big league pitch in over two years now. If it helps, folks should just think of Aoki as if he were a minor league call-up. That he has no obvious future with the Mets kind of makes him more attractive in my mind since it won't affect 40-man roster issues. He's available, he's cheap, and he should prove to be at least a somewhat useful player at a place we currently have a need.

Benjamin Grimm Aug 31 2017 05:44 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

I don't see any reason not to do this. And who knows, given an opportunity he may play himself into the Mets plans for 2018. At least he'll be motivated to try.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 02 2017 04:27 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Mets have signed him!! Yay!!

Edgy MD Sep 02 2017 04:37 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Expected to be activated for game two. Let the Norichika chicas rejoice!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 02 2017 04:44 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Aoki Dokey!

41Forever Sep 02 2017 05:08 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Edgy MD wrote: Expected to be activated for game two. Let the Norichika chicas rejoice! Why not for Game One? Travel issue?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Sep 02 2017 05:15 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

This is destined to be one of those impossible Name That Roster years, like 2009.

Edgy MD Sep 02 2017 07:14 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

41Forever wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Expected to be activated for game two. Let the Norichika chicas rejoice! Why not for Game One? Travel issue? That's a solid theory. We at Mets Roster Central can only speculate.

Lefty Specialist Sep 02 2017 07:22 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Kind of like boarding the Titanic after it hits the iceberg, but whatever. Enjoy your deck chair, Mr. Aoki. Just realized he won't be eligible for the postseason, which is a bummer.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 02 2017 07:43 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Mets by the Numbers reporting Aoki will wear No. 11

Edgy MD Sep 02 2017 07:46 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

A good chance we'll see three new Mets make their debuts today.

Frayed Knot Sep 03 2017 09:19 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

It hadn't occurred to me that Aoki will still be short of FA status this winter (by only a few weeks of service time) so the Mets could control him at an arb-determined price if they choose to do so.

bmfc1 Sep 03 2017 10:56 PM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

Marc Carig said today that he didn't understand why Aoki is on the team and they should be playing young players. Who? Taijeron is 28. Anyone else? No one else is alive so it's not like he's taking Nimmo's spot in the OF.

RealityChuck Sep 04 2017 01:37 AM Re: Can I interest you in some Aoki?

bmfc1 wrote: Marc Carig said today that he didn't understand why Aoki is on the team and they should be playing young players. Who? Taijeron is 28. Anyone else? No one else is alive so it's not like he's taking Nimmo's spot in the OF. Stupidest bit of commentary this year. The only other outfielder on the 40-man roster is Becerra, who isn't ready. There's no one at Vegas who's major-league ready, or close to it. And if you put them on to the 40-man, and they show promise, you'll only have to remove them (and possibly lose them). And bringing players up before they're ready only hurts their development. With no Aoki, Taijeron, Lagares, and Nimmo have to play every inning of every game (with Reynolds and Reyes). And what's wrong with auditioning Aoki, anyway? He may not be worth much, but would Victor Cruzado be any better?