Here are Wednesday's updates on a few players on the free agent market:
- Takashi Saito's agent, Nez Balelo, says six to eight teams have shown interest in his client, who is open to playing in either league, tweets WEEI's Alex Speirer.
- Balelo also tells Speier that Japanese outfielder and six-time NPB All-Star Norichika Aoki will be posted next Monday (Twitter link).
- With milestones in reach, Vladimir Guerrero intends to keep playing, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (on Twitter).
- Scott Kazmir will make his Dominican Winter League debut with the Escogido Lions tonight, tweets Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes.
Good thing I still have my Kazmir shirt…
Aoki is a hell of a hitter in Japan, not sure how he’ll translate to North American ball – or who’s outfield he’ll fit in.
Kazmir will win a cy young…in bizarro world.
Monday’s Headline: Blue Jays Sign Norichika Aoki
I don’t see this happening. Red Sox RFer is Reddick is shipped? Maybe. Many, many options, but I doubt he’s much more than a 2-3 WAR player in N. America.
Does anyone have a legitimate scouting report on Aoki? Those numbers are pretty awesome, what with the .435 OBP last season and .944 OPS. Maybe he should be the OF SF was chasing.
He’s good, makes a lot of contact – but this just comes from watching him in International play. Better than Fukudome, at least.
Where’s Jim Hendry? I need someone to give this guy 6 years and $100 million!!!
Where’s Jim Hendry? I need someone to give this guy 6 years and $100 million!!!
go kaz…i hope that guy gets back on his feet and finds his stride again…you know the poor guy deserves it..
Vlad, with his skills not gone as much as some believe and his leadership unquestioned, will be a good pickup for someone. He wants 500 home runs and 3000 hits but both will require a solid 2012, or he won’t get another big chance. Jim Thome can play poorly but he has more respect so Vlad has to work harder to get the same chance. If he gets on with a solid team and plays enough, he’ll need to hit 25 or so home runs and over 180 hits to get another full year deal. And he’d have to repeat those years to get to 500 in 2013/14 and 3000 in 2014. Doable, but will he get the chance and will his knees hold up? I’d hope so but realistically, he has to come up big in 2012, like 2010. If he hadn’t been so injured in 2009, he’d have over 460 HR now and 2650 hits, but abdominal/chest injuries take time to recover from. 2012 could be his last hurrah.