Call to the pen
Fansided

Seattle Mariners Interested In Retaining Nori Aoki

By Brad Faber

Sep 13, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Nori Aoki (8) follows through on his swing for a solo home run during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Nori Aoki (8) follows through on his swing for a solo home run during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Although he was demoted to Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the year, it appears that Nori Aoki may be swinging his way into the Seattle Mariners plans for 2017. 

In 2016, the Seattle Mariners have been a bit of a surprise team under first-year manager Scott Servais. The Mariners are currently only three games out of an AL Wild Card spot.

Although reaching the postseason won’t be an easy task with just two weeks remaining, the Mariners will be a fun team to watch going forward. Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune has now reported that the Mariners are interested in retaining an important part of this year’s club in Nori Aoki. Dutton also describes how Aoki now has a real chance to accumulate enough plate appearances to trigger an option for next season.

"“Aoki entered Saturday’s game with 420 plate appearances and, with 15 games remaining, now rates a legitimate shot of reaching the 480 threshold necessary to trigger a $5 million player option for 2017.”"

After going 3-for-3 with a walk in Saturday’s loss against the Houston Astros, Aoki now needs just 56 more plate appearances. Dutton also points out that the Mariners will likely be facing quite a few right-handers, which should work in favor for the left-handed hitting Aoki’s chances.

More from Call to the Pen

Although Aoki struggled earlier on in the year and was sent to Triple-A Tacoma in late June, he has been on a tear as of late. Since July 20,  he has slashed .333/.381/.488. He was sent to the minors again in August,  though it was “due to roster issues,” according to Dutton.

Aoki is batting .387 in September, the highest mark of any Mariner with at least 30 plate appearances. For the season, Aoki’s triple-slash of .275/.342/.373 equates to 97 OPS+, which isn’t far off from his mark of .285/.352/.384 (102 OPS+) for his career.

Dating back to his days with the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants, Aoki has been a very consistent performer. He’s never hit for a ton of power, but has always managed to have around a .285 batting average and a .350 on-base percentage by season’s end. He has also been a decent defender.

Going into next season, the Mariners have other outfielders who may be departing as well. Franklin Gutierrez is headed for free agency and Seth Smith has a $7 million team option with a $250,000 buyout. Gutierrez and Smith have provided some punch this year, hitting 14 home runs a piece.

Aoki, on the other hand, has the type of skill set that makes him a nice table setter for Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager. As a low strikeout, high OBP hitter, he is always a great option to use in the leadoff spot.

Next: Jon Gray pitches the game of his life

The Seattle Mariners are trying to make the postseason for the first time since 2001, and Aoki has obviously been a big part of the winning formula in recent weeks. It will be interesting to see if he can get enough playing time for his option to vest.

Home/Seattle Mariners