Kansas City Royals former outfielder Nori Aoki heading to Japan

Former Kansas City Royals outfielder Nori Aoki has signed a three year contract in Japan, likely putting an end to his major league career.

Over the course of his six year career, former Kansas City Royals outfielder Nori Aoki became the definition of a well traveled veteran. Originally signed by the Milwaukee Brewers after leaving Japan, Aoki also spent time with the aforementioned Royals, Giants, Mariners, Astros, Blue Jays, and Mets. He certainly racked up a lot of frequent flier miles during his career. And, Aoki gave us one of the more entertaining moments in recent baseball history on his sliding attempt to snare a pop foul in Toronto in 2014.

Despite switching teams so often, Aoki was a solid outfielder. He produced a .285/.350/.387 batting line, hitting 135 doubles and stealing 98 bases. Although he was not quite the same player last year, he had a decent .277/.335/.393 batting line, with 20 doubles and ten steals. Even if Aoki was not an every day player at this point, he may well have found an opportunity on a team searching for outfield depth.

Instead, Aoki’s major league career may be over. He has agreed to return to Japan, signing a three year contract with the Yakult Swallows, the team he played for prior to heading to the majors. That three year deal is worth one billion Yen, or just over $9 million.

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Chances are, that is a far better payday than Aoki would have received had he remained in the United States. Free agency has been abnormally slow thus far, with few players finding a new home. With teams loathe to spend at all, and shying away from older players, Aoki may not have received more than a minor league offer with an invitation to Spring Training.

Meanwhile, he gets a chance to return home for what may be his last few years as a professional baseball player. He had been a star in his previous eight seasons with the Swallows, posting a .329/.402/.454 batting line with 84 homers and 169 steals. Who says you can never return home?

In this case, Aoki returns as a well traveled veteran, someone who has played at the highest level and found success. He can now serve as a mentor, helping those top players on Yakult get ready for the majors should they look to try their luck stateside. Having that experience on the roster could prove invaluable.

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Former Kansas City Royals outfielder Nori Aoki is heading back to where it all began, signing a three year deal with the yakult Swallows. His time in the majors may have now come to an end.