Milwaukee Brewers to decide fate of Norichika Aoki – MLB News
The Milwaukee Brewers seem to be in a flux as far as the Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki is concerned. While the player has a deadline of January 17 to be acquired, the Brewers are apparently in a deliberative mood, taking their time prior to making the
final decision.
The player has remained three-time Japanese league batting champion, making him all the more appealing for the Brewers which have a set or issues to tackle in the days to come. First and foremost, is the fate of Ryan Braun.
The player is said to be facing possible suspension due to the last year’s failed drug test. Provided he fails to win the appeal he has filed, Braun will be out for 50 games which will significantly impact the hitting of Brewers; a field that the club heavily
relies upon.
It is keeping in view this possibility that the hierarchy has decided to make a quick decision. The Japanese player was to undergo a physical exam and workout for two consecutive days – Sunday and Monday, to determine if he is mentally and physically fit
for the relatively bigger task of playing in Major League Baseball.
For now, Aoki has represented Tokyo Yakult Swallows as he has no experience of playing in Major League Baseball. Considering the fact that the Brewers have shown a decent record of being ruthless offence, Aoki can prove to be an invaluable asset for the
team.
The team manager Melvin shed light on this while speaking on the matter. "We worked him out, and then we had some discussions last night, and we'll have some more today about whether to go further," said general manager Doug Melvin, who attended the workout.
Melvin believes while the player has everything a professional should possess, at the end, it is all about fitting in the roster.
"He's what you would expect from a player from Japan," Melvin said. "The decision we have to make is, does he fit on our roster? That's something we'll talk about here in the next couple of days."
Like Melvin stated, the decision shall be made in a couple of days; only then will it be seen how the player proves instrumental for the Brewers if he is his inducted and the possible absence of Ryan Braun.
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