Norichika Aoki signed a one-year, $4.7 million contract with the Giants on Friday, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The deal is for 2015 plus a club option for 2016, a relatively short-term contract for someone reportedly seeking a multi-year pact. Aoki will earn $4 million in 2015, per Shea, plus a $5.5 million option, plus up to $1.5 million annually in performance bonuses. The 2016 option comes with a $700,000 buyout, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Aoki has been a steady player since arriving from Japan back in 2012. In 2014, he batted .285/.349/.360 with one home run and 17 stolen bases after the Royals traded for him last winter. The 32-year-old pairs strong contact skills with a line-drive approach, though after hitting 18 home runs in his first two MLB campaigns, Aoki left the yard only once in 2014 while playing half of his games in the spacious confines of Kaufman Stadium.
The Japanese native has also seen his stolen-base total drop in each of the last three seasons, but he remains a hitter who rarely strikes out. Over the course of his career, Aoki has struck out only 144 times in just over 1800 plate appearances, while walking on 141 occasions. His 8.9% strikeout rate in 2014 was the fifth-lowest in all of baseball.
Such a skill set has allowed Aoki to get on base at an above-average rate in MLB and provide solid production at the plate. His defense value is a bit more questionable, although no one would label Aoki as a liability in the outfield.
Overall, he is a dependable option whose offensive skills are a tad underrated given his lack of power. At the very least, Aoki will provide solid depth in the outfield for San Francisco, if he isn't their regular left fielder.
Aoki earned $1.95 million in the final season of his contract with the Royals in 2014.
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