Mets Rumors

Paul Blackburn Won’t Return In 2024

By Darragh McDonald | October 2, 2024 at 5:25pm CDT

The Mets defeated the Brewers yesterday and are now one win away from moving on to the National League Division series. But regardless of how deep they go in the postseason, right-hander Paul Blackburn won’t be an option for them. Manager Carlos Mendoza informed reporters that the righty is done for the year, with Tim Healey of Newsday among those to relay the news on X.

Blackburn was acquired from the Athletics prior to this year’s deadline. The Mets had some injuries in their rotation, with Christian Scott and Kodai Senga both on the shelf, so they sent prospect Kade Morris to Oakland to bring Blackburn aboard.

Unfortunately, the trade hasn’t worked out for them so far. Blackburn made five starts with a 5.18 earned run average before landing on the 15-day injured list due to a right hand bruise suffered when he was hit by a comebacker. While still on the IL, it was reported a couple of weeks ago that he was dealing with a spinal fluid leak in his back. That sounded pretty grim but the club still had some hope of him making a return.

With today’s update, however, that won’t happen. It’s not a devastating blow to the Mets at this point, as the extra off-days in the playoffs and the do-or-die nature of the circumstances lead to smaller starting rotations. The Mets have Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana and Luis Severino as their current top three, with David Peterson and Tylor Megill also around as possible options. Megill isn’t on the Wild Card roster but could be utilized in the coming weeks, if needed.

Senga could perhaps be an option down the line as well but likely wouldn’t be counted on for bulk. He suffered a capsule strain in his shoulder during spring training and didn’t make his season debut until July. In his first start back, he suffered a left calf strain and went right back on the injured list. He threw a 25-pitch bullpen session earlier this week, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com on X. That could lead to him rejoining the club later in the month but he will probably be limited to short outings.

Turning back to Blackburn, the club could still reap some return on that trade as he can be retained via arbitration for one more season. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a salary of $4.4MM next year. Since the start of 2022, Blackburn has thrown 290 1/3 innings with a 4.43 ERA, 20.2% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate and 44.8% ground ball rate.

He would be well worth that modest arbitration raise if the Mets expect him to be able to provide that kind of production next year. The club has a fairly wide open rotation in 2025, as both Quintana and Severino are slated for free agency. Manaea has one year left on his deal but has an opt-out he will certainly exercise as long as he’s still healthy in a few weeks. Scott recently underwent Tommy John surgery and could miss the whole season. José Buttó could return to a starting role but he’s having success in the bullpen, which could tempt the club to keep him there.

That’ll leave the club with a projected 2025 rotation of Senga, Megill and Peterson. Prospects like Brandon Sproat and Blade Tidwell have reached Triple-A but without success at that level yet. Given the number of available innings they have, tendering a contract to Blackburn makes plenty of sense. Even if the club pursues higher-upside pitchers in free agency and squeeze him out of the plans, Blackburn would have some trade value they could look to cash in.

Mets Select Max Kranick, Designate Eddy Alvarez For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | October 1, 2024 at 12:43pm CDT

The Mets have selected the contract of right-hander Max Kranick and he is on the club’s roster for the Wild Card series that begins today. Infielder Eddy Alvarez has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Kranick, 27, was a waiver claim out of the Pirates organization in January. He’d wrapped up a lengthy rehab process from Tommy John surgery with the Pirates late in the ’23 season and was viewed as an optionable bit of rotation depth for the Mets heading into the season. Kranick sustained a Grade 2 hamstring strain early in spring training, however, which shut him down for the bulk of camp and ensured that he’d open the season on the 15-day injured list.

The Mets wound up designating Kranick for assignment in early May, not long after he’d been reinstated from that hamstring injury and optioned to the minors. He passed through waivers unclaimed and remained with the organization after being outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse. Kranick spent the entire season in Triple-A, pitching to a 3.57 ERA in 63 innings across 41 appearances. Few would’ve pegged him as a candidate to make his team debut with the Mets during the postseason, but that opportunity could now present itself — particularly if the Mets race out to a substantial early lead or deficit. Kranick presumably is on the roster to provide bulk relief in either scenario.

Alvarez, 34, was acquired in a rare September trade and quickly selected to the big league roster. New York sent cash back to the Red Sox in that swap. Alvarez wasn’t on a major league deal, thus leaving him eligible to be traded. However, due to the fact that his acquisition came after the postseason eligibility deadline, he was not a candidate to make New York’s playoff roster.

The well-traveled Alvarez went hitless in 11 plate appearances with the Mets during the regular season. He was a depth pickup while the Mets battled some infield injuries, but their club is largely back up to strength for the postseason. In parts of four big league campaigns, Alvarez is a .170/.257/.244 hitter in 154 plate appearances. He’ll now be placed on outright waivers or released. If and when Alvarez clears waivers, he’ll be able to become a minor league free agent.

Mets Select Joey Lucchesi

By Darragh McDonald | September 30, 2024 at 4:35pm CDT

The Mets selected left-hander Joey Lucchesi between games of today’s double-header. He is the starter for the second game of the twin bill against Atlanta with left-hander Alex Young optioned in a corresponding active roster move. Tim Britton of The Athletic was among those to relay the news on X. The Mets transferred right-hander Christian Scott to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot, per Mike Puma of The New York Post on X.

The Mets and Atlanta came into today’s double-header effectively in a three-way tie with the Diamondbacks. Each of the two clubs playing today only needed to win one game in order to clinch a playoff spot. The Mets won a thriller in the first game, emerging victorious 8-7. They had planned to start Luis Severino in the second game if they still needed to win but will instead hold him back for the Wild Card round tomorrow.

Lucchesi, 31, will get the ball instead. The lefty has been with the Mets since January of 2021, coming over from the Padres in the three-team mega trade that sent Joe Musgrove to San Diego, David Bednar to Pittsburgh and more. The southpaw required Tommy John surgery that summer, which resulted in him missing most of 2022. He has largely been used as optionable depth since then.

This year, his big league results prior to today consisted of just one spot start. He tossed 4 1/3 innings against the Phillies on May 15, allowing five earned runs. He was optioned back to the minors after that outing and later designated for assignment when the Mets acquired Phil Maton in July.

Lucchesi cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse. As a player with more than three years of service time, he could have rejected that outright assignment in favor of free agency. However, since he has less than five years of service, heading to the open market would have involved walking away from what remained of his $1.65MM salary.

Naturally, he accepted that outright assignment and gets his roster spot back today. The Mets likely plan on just using Lucchesi for this one outing, as they have Severino, Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana, David Peterson and Tylor Megill as starting options for the postseason.

If Lucchesi survives on the 40-man all winter, he could be retained for 2025 via arbitration. However, he will be out of options next year and will therefore have less appeal to the club as a depth option, which should make him a candidate to be bumped from the roster at some point. He has a 4.70 earned run average in 115 Triple-A innings this year.

As for Scott, he underwent a Tommy John and internal brace hybrid procedure recently, so he will miss the remainder of this year and likely all of 2025 as well. He will spend most of that time on the 60-day IL, though there’s no injured list during the offseason, so he will need to retake a roster spot for at least a few months.

Kodai Senga Shut Down For Remainder Of Regular Season

By Mark Polishuk | September 22, 2024 at 4:49pm CDT

Kodai Senga’s injury-plagued regular season has been officially ended by another setback, as the right-hander came away from a Triple-A rehab start Saturday with tightness in his right triceps. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) that Senga won’t be able to return before the end of the season, but since the injury isn’t considered overly serious, he might still be a candidate for a playoff roster should the Mets reach the playoffs.

This is the second triceps-related issue Senga has faced this year, as another triceps problem delayed his recovery from the capsule strain that sidelined the righty during Spring Training. After overcoming those injuries and finally getting ready to make his season debut on July 26, Senga tossed 5 1/3 innings in his first start before suffering a left calf strain that led to another trip to the 60-day injured list. Saturday’s outing was slated to be Senga’s only rehab start, as the Mets’ plan was to potentially have him return to the big league roster during New York’s season-ending series with the Brewers, with Senga working as either as an opener or as a reliever.

With that plan now scrapped, it seems entirely possible that we’ve seen the last of Senga for the 2024 campaign. The Mets could still miss the postseason and make Senga’s status a moot point, or Senga might simply not be healthy enough to pitch unless the club makes a fairly deep run into October. There is also the question of just how effective Senga might be after his long layoff, and whether or not the Mets want to risk putting a rusty pitcher into a critical postseason game.

Given how remarkable Senga was in his 2023 rookie season, it is a little remarkable that New York is in position to claim a wild card even while getting virtually nothing from the pitcher they viewed as their ace heading into Spring Training. Senga signed a five-year, $75MM free agent deal with the Mets during the 2022-23 offseason, and immediately lived up to the hype created by his high-profile move from Nippon Professional Baseball to the majors. Senga posted a 2.98 ERA over 166 1/3 innings in 2023, finished seventh in NL Cy Young Award voting, and was a runner-up in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.

White Sox Hire David Keller To Oversee International Scouting

By Nick Deeds | September 22, 2024 at 2:21pm CDT

The White Sox have hired David Keller to run their international scouting department, according to a report by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The report was later elaborated on by James Fegan of SoxMachine, who noted that Keller’s title with Chicago will be special assistant to the GM. Francys Romero also chimed in to note that the club’s international scouting department is being restructured and that the club is expected to hire a director for the department in the coming months. Prior to joining the Sox, Keller had been a scout with the Mets since 2009.

While front office members and scouts changing organizations is a fairly common occurrence in the final months of the season and the first months of the offseason, Chicago’s decision to hire external for a high-level position is especially noteworthy as a potential sign that the club has begun to look for outside voices amid what appears likely to wind up as the worst season any organization has put together in the modern era by almost any metric.

The Sox tied the the 2003 Detroit Tigers for the most losses in AL history with a loss to the Padres last night, and the club would have to win each of their final seven games in order to avoid at least tying the 120-loss 1962 Mets for the most losses in the modern era. Meanwhile, the club’s current .232 winning percentage is already the worst of the modern era, and they’d need to win at least three of their remaining games to surpass the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics, who went 36-117 for a winning percentage of .235. If they don’t win another game this year, Chicago’s 36 wins would tie the aforementioned 1916 Athletics club as well as the 1919 club for the fewest wins in a modern MLB season.

A disastrous season of this magnitude is bound to inspire reflection both inside and outside the organization, so it was no surprise when The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal published a lengthy article looking at the club’s failings. MLBTR readers are encouraged to read the report in full for a look at quotes from a wide-ranging group of sources regarding the state of the White Sox organization. In Ghiroli and Rosenthal’s findings, much of the blame for the South Siders’ struggles falls onto the shoulders of owner and chairperson Jerry Reinsdorf. The article notes that while Reinsdorf has a genuine passion for baseball and a desire to see the White Sox succeed, his old-school mentality and unwillingness to invest fully in advanced analytics and technology has held the team back in recent years.

Another concern the article points out regarding Reinsdorf’s ownership style is his extreme loyalty to his employees, which has helped to foster an insular culture within the organization that prevented the club from adapting to the current era’s norms and strategies in areas ranging from game planning for pitchers to defensive positioning. It’s also prompted Reinsdorf at times to go against what others in the organization think is best, such as when he promoted Chris Getz to run baseball operations rather than seek an outside hire or when he overrode then-GM Rick Hahn in the search for a manager to replace Rick Renteria following the 2020 season.

Hahn had his eye on former Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who had won a World Series championship with an organization that was widely-regarded as one of the league’s most forward-thinking, and according to Ghiroli and Rosenthal had begun looking into places to live in Chicago with an interview for the managerial gig scheduled. Instead, Reinsdorf stepped in and hired longtime Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who managed for the White Sox from 1979 to 1986 but had previously retired following the 2011 season, his final year in St. Louis. That left Hinch to sign with the Tigers, a club that was mired in mediocrity at the time but has emerged as a surprise contender for a playoff spot this year with a strong second half.

Considering the organization’s history under Reinsdorf, the hiring of Keller could be seen as the latest step towards accepting outside voices into the fold as they look to move past a brutal 2024 season. Previously, Chicago went outside the organization to hire then-Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol to replace La Russa after he vacated the managerial chair due to health issues, and Getz suggested when they fired Grifol earlier this year that they plan to hire another outside voice to replace Grifol headed into 2025, though Grady Sizemore has been acting as interim manager for the time being.

Mets Notes: Lindor, Senga

By Mark Polishuk | September 21, 2024 at 2:09pm CDT

2:09PM: Mendoza spoke with SNY and other media today about Lindor’s condition, saying that he feels “better” but the “most likely scenario” is that Lindor won’t play until Tuesday at the earliest.

9:25AM: Francisco Lindor’s bad back has kept him out of the Mets’ lineup for each of the team’s last five games, but the star shortstop is showing some positive signs of recovery. Lindor told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) that he received a facet joint injection on Thursday, which was meant to help quell or at least reduce the back discomfort that Lindor had been trying to play through for most of September prior to this recent shutdown period.

“I’m trying to do whatever it takes to come back as soon as I can,” Lindor said. “Without [the injection]…it didn’t feel like I could get back sooner rather than later. With the injection, they said there was a possibility that can happen. I believe in the trainers. I trust them, what the input is. And we went and got it done.”

The initial results of the injection are encouraging, as Lindor said he was able to bend over to tie his shoes without feeling any pain on Friday. He was also able to take part in some limited baseball activities such as a batting practice, and a wider range of workouts are slated for today. It isn’t entirely out of the question that Lindor could even play in today’s game with the Phillies (probably as a designated hitter in order to limit any extra strain on his back), but both Lindor and the Mets are naturally trying to be cautious in trying to prevent any greater injury.

Missing Lindor at this crucial time of the season has added even more drama to the Mets’ bid for a playoff berth, though New York has managed a 4-1 record in the MVP candidate’s absence. The 85-69 Mets hold a two-game lead over the Braves for the last wild card spot, while also remaining not far behind the Diamondbacks (86-68) and Padres (88-66) for a higher wild card position. The Mets’ fate might hinge on a critical three-game set in Atlanta beginning on Tuesday, and the club would obviously love to have Lindor available for that de facto playoff series.

Another late-season reinforcement could also emerge for the Mets in time for their last series of the regular season, and then potentially into the playoffs. Kodai Senga will make a rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse today, and is set to throw a maximum of 35 pitches over one or two innings of work. As both manager Carlos Mendoza and president of baseball operations David Stearns told reporters (including the New York Post’s Mike Puma), should Senga emerge in good shape from that rehab outing, he could work as an opener at some point during the Mets’ series with the Brewers that begins on Friday.

“These situations are always fluid,” Stearns noted, and Mendoza said that Senga could potentially work in more of a traditional relief role than in working as an opener. Working out of the bullpen might better position Senga for inclusion on a postseason roster because (on paper) the Mets wouldn’t have need for an opener in a playoff game, though it is also fair to wonder if New York would even feel comfortable having Senga on a playoff roster considering that he has barely pitched all season.

A capsule strain and a triceps injury delayed Senga’s 2024 debut until July 26, and in the right-hander’s very first game back, Senga suffered a severe left calf strain that immediately sent him back to the 60-day injured list. September 25 is the earliest date that Senga can be activated, and pitching today for Syracuse should line him up for a potential trip to a big league mound on Friday in Milwaukee.

Senga was one of the stories of the 2023 season, as his first year in Major League Baseball resulted in a seventh-place finish in NL Cy Young Award voting and a runner-up spot in the NL Rookie of the Year race. Expected to be the new cornerstone of the Mets’ rotation, Senga has instead been a virtual non-factor in the 2024 campaign, though is is very intriguing to consider what a bullpen version of Senga could bring to New York in its playoff chase and perhaps in October. If nothing else, getting back to action would provide some comfort for Senga heading into 2025.

Christian Scott To Undergo UCL Surgery

By Steve Adams | September 18, 2024 at 11:19am CDT

Top Mets pitching prospect Christian Scott will undergo a combined Tommy John surgery and internal brace procedure, agent Nate Heisler of Klutch Sports announced this morning (X link). The hybrid procedure will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister next week and will very likely keep Scott out of action for the entire 2025 season.

Scott, 25, made his big league debut this season and pitched to a 4.56 ERA with a 19.8% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate in 47 1/3 frames. The 6’4″ righty, selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, was diagnosed with a UCL sprain in late July and opted for non-surgical rest and rehab before committing to the upcoming surgery. Given the timing of the injury and the looming hybrid procedure, it was likely that Scott would’ve missed most or all of the 2025 season anyhow had gone under the knife back in late July at the time of his original IL placement, so at least attempting non-surgical rehab made plenty of sense.

Scott breezed through the minors across the past two seasons, posting sub-3.00 ERAs at High-A, Double-A and Triple-A along the way. He currently ranks as the game’s No. 63 overall prospect at Baseball America and was just a couple innings from graduating off that list prior to his injury. Scott will only pick up a partial season of major league service time in 2024 but figures to spend the entire 2025 campaign accruing service time on the 60-day injured list, as he was pitching in the majors at the time of his injury. He’ll be under club control through at least the 2030 season.

The loss of Scott for all of next season only further underscores a need for the Mets to pursue rotation upgrades this winter. While the team’s immediate focus is, of course, on the ongoing Wild Card battle in the National League, the front office will soon be tasked with restocking a rotation that’s on the cusp of thinning out in dramatic fashion. Luis Severino and Jose Quintana are both free agents at season’s end. Sean Manaea is signed through 2025 but has an opt-out clause in his contract that he’ll surely be taking on the heels of an outstanding 2024 season.

The only starters with big league experience whom the Mets have under control for 2025 are Kodai Senga, Paul Blackburn, David Peterson, Tylor Megill and Jose Butto. Senga made only one start this year due to a shoulder strain and a calf strain. Blackburn has been limited to 55 starts across the past three seasons thanks to a variety of injuries (most notably a torn tendon in his middle finger in 2022). Peterson and Megill have both had strong seasons — the former, in particular — but have both been depth options who’ve yet to complete a full MLB season as a starter. Butto moved to the bullpen earlier this summer and has been very effective as a reliever.

The Mets do have some promising minor league arms on the rise, headlined by right-hander Brandon Sproat, who ranks 37th among the game’s prospects at MLB.com and 61st at Baseball America. He could very well debut next season. Still, given both the names they stand to lose to free agency and the injury and workload concerns for the rotation options in next year’s projected group, it’s easy to recognize that starting pitching will be among president of baseball operations David Stearns’ top priorities this winter. That would’ve been true even if Scott were given a clean bill of health, but the need is even more acute now that one of their top homegrown talents is likely down until the 2026 campaign.

NL Notes: Lindor, Blackburn, Barnes, Payamps

By Leo Morgenstern | September 15, 2024 at 10:27pm CDT

After exiting early on Friday and sitting out on Saturday, Mets superstar Francisco Lindor was pulled in the second inning of today’s series finale against the Phillies. Back discomfort has been a problem for the NL MVP candidate all weekend, and as it turns out, significantly longer. Lindor told reporters, including Tim Britton of The Athletic, that he has been playing through back pain for the past two weeks. Ever since he further irritated the injury on Friday, it has become too difficult to ignore.

Lindor will go for an MRI tomorrow, after which the Mets will have a better sense of the severity of his condition. Needless to say, they’ll be hoping it’s nothing serious and the star shortstop can get back on the field as soon as possible. The Mets are in a dead heat with the Braves in the race to secure the third and final NL Wild Card berth.

In further injury news out of Queens, starting pitcher Paul Blackburn is dealing with a spinal fluid leak in his back (per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). President of baseball operations David Stearns suggests the injury isn’t quite as bad as it might sound, but nonetheless, the team does not know when Blackburn will be able to return. The right-hander has not pitched since August 23. Thankfully for the Mets, their pitching staff, and particularly their starting rotation, has been a strength as of late. Their starters rank third in MLB with a 2.32 ERA since Blackburn landed on the IL. Meanwhile, Blackburn had a 5.18 ERA in five starts after joining the Mets at the trade deadline.

NL East Notes: Albies, Marte, Bohm

By Nick Deeds | September 15, 2024 at 11:01am CDT

11:01am: The Mets told reporters (including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com) that Marte’s x-rays came back negative, though he’s out of the lineup due to soreness for today’s game. Meanwhile, the Phillies have activated Bohm from the IL ahead of schedule and will bat him fifth in today’s lineup.

9:15am: The Braves have been without second baseman Ozzie Albies for nearly two months now due to a fractured left wrist, and since then the club has had to rely on veterans like Whit Merrifield and Cavan Biggio who were added following his injury to handle the keystone. While Merrifield has performed admirably in Albies’s absence with a .269/.374/.370 slash line with Atlanta, the club is surely anxious to return the three-time All-Star to the lineup as the Braves fight to remain in a playoff spot with just two weeks to go in the regular season.

When manager Brian Snitker and Albies himself spoke to reporters on Friday about the second baseman’s status, the update was somewhat mixed. Snitker (as relayed by David O’Brien of The Athletic) raised some alarms for Braves fans by saying he wasn’t sure if Albies would play again this year before clarifying that because Albies is still feeling discomfort in his injured wrist only when he bats from the left side, the switch-hitter would be able to return if he was willing to bat from the right side exclusively down the stretch. Per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, Albies is willing to drop switch-hitting for the time being in order to return to the lineup and hopes to be back sometime next week.

Albies, 27, has batted much better while hitting right-handed throughout his career, including this year where he’s posted a 151 wRC+ against left-handed pitching for the Braves compared to an 80 wRC+ against righties. It’s a similar but less extreme story over his career as a whole, as he’s posted a 146 wRC+ while batting right-handed and a 96 wRC+ while batting left-handed. It won’t be the first time Albies has faced right-handed pitching while as a right-handed batter in his career, although his experience in that regard has been limited to just 14 plate appearances throughout his MLB career. With that being said, that extremely small sample size has seen him find a great deal of success as he’s gone 3-for-11 with three walks and two homers in those handful of trips to the plate.

More from around the NL East…

The Mets suffered a bit of an injury scare last night when outfielder Starling Marte was struck by a pitch on the forearm from right-hander Jeff Hoffman in last night’s loss to Philadelphia. Marte remained in the game to run the bases and play the outfield, but manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (as relayed by SNY) that the veteran was scheduled to undergo “precautionary” x-rays on his forearm to make sure that the 35-year-old hasn’t suffered a more serious injury. Marte has hit a decent .271/.320/.399 in 83 games with the Mets this year but has struggled a bit at the plate since returning from the IL last month, with a lackluster .241/.286/.328 slash line in 17 games since being activated. If Marte misses time, it seems likely that Jesse Winker will slide into a more regular role with the club down the stretch.
The Phillies have been without third baseman Alec Bohm since late August due to a strained hand, but it seems that may change in the coming days as manager Rob Thomson recently told reporters (including The Athletic’s Matt Gelb) that Bohm has “shown progress” in his recovery. He’s currently on a rehab assignment at Triple-A but could be back with the big league club as soon as Monday. The return of Bohm to the starting lineup would provide a huge boost for Philadelphia, as with Edmundo Sosa also on the IL (and, coincidentally, joining Bohm on his Triple-A rehab assignment) the big league club has had to rely on a combination of Kody Clemens, Weston Wilson, and Buddy Kennedy at the hot corner in recent weeks. 2024 has been something of a breakout season for Bohm, who has slashed a strong .290/.343/.462 in 131 games this year.

Nori Aoki To Retire At NPB Season’s End

By Nick Deeds | September 14, 2024 at 6:56pm CDT

Former big league outfielder and current member of Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yakult Swallows Nori Aoki is set to retire following the 2024 campaign, per an announcement from the Swallows yesterday (hat tip to The Yomiuri Shimbun). Aoki, 42, spent parts of six seasons in the majors in addition to a lengthy career in Japan.

Aoki’s career first began with the Swallows back in 2004 when he debuted at the age of 22. He made it into just ten games with Yakult that year, going 3-for-15 at the plate with a walk, a stolen base, and six strikeouts. That tiny sample size did nothing to suggest what Aoki would go on to do in his first full season with the club, however, as he slashed an excellent .344/.387/.417 in 144 games during the 2005 season, becoming just the second player in NPB history (after Ichiro Suzuki) to collect 200 hits in a single season.

He improved to even greater heights throughout his mid-20s, slashing 15-to-20 homer power to go along with fantastic contact and baserunning skills. As his plate discpline developed, he even began to walk more than he struck out, leading to a dominant stretch of seasons from 2007 to 2010 where he walked at a 10.6% clip against a minuscule 9.8% strikeout rate in addition to his aforementioned solid power and impressive base-stealing abilities, and even crossed the 200-hit barrier for a second time in 2010 to become the only NPB player in history to achieve the feat twice.

Given the excellence he had demonstrated throughout his time with the Swallows, it was hardly a surprise when he was quickly snapped up by the Brewers on a two-year deal after being posted for major league clubs prior to the 2012 season. In Milwaukee, Aoki was a slightly above average hitter with a solid .287/.355/.399 slash line. While he only hit a combined 18 home runs over his two seasons with the Brewers, he swiped 50 bags while hitting 57 doubles and 7 triples in that same period. That was a strong enough performance for Milwaukee brass to pick up Aoki’s club option for the 2014 season, but he did not last the offseason with the club and was swapped to the Royals in a deal that brought lefty Will Smith to the Brewers.

After departing the Brewers, Aoki wouldn’t stick around with an MLB club for more than a season at the time for the rest of his time in stateside ball. After acting as the regular right fielder in Kansas City for the club’s AL pennant-winning 2014 season, Aoki departed in free agency to sign with the Giants but was limited to just 93 games when he suffered a broken leg and a concussion in two separate hit-by-pitch incidents. Aoki then signed a one-year deal with the Mariners in 2016 but began to show some signs of decline, notably stealing only seven bases in sixteen attempts with the worst strikeout and walk numbers of his MLB career, though he did display his best power numbers since his rookie 2012 campaign with the Brewers.

Aoki’s final season in the big leagues came back in 2017 and saw him change uniforms several times. The veteran outfielder was claimed off waivers from the Mariners by the Astros during the 2016-17 offseason. Aoki struggled somewhat through 70 games with Houston, however, and ended up traded to the Blue Jays at the deadline that year alongside Teoscar Hernandez in a deal that brought Francisco Liriano to Houston. Aoki managed to catch fire down the stretch, however, and while his playing time was further split between the Blue Jays and Mets over the final two months of the season he slashed .281/.294/.594 for Toronto in August before slashing .284/.371/.373 in Queens that September.

Following the end of his MLB career, Aoki returned home to the Swallows and has played for the club in each of the past seven seasons. Now 42, the veteran is the league’s oldest active player and has collected more than 7,000 plate appearances with a .313/.392/.445 slash line in 1,713 NPB games. Between NPB and MLB play, Aoki has stepped up to the plate more than 10,000 times with 2,765 hits, 470 doubles, 51 triples, 179 homers and 279 stolen bases. We at MLBTR congratulate Aoki on a fine career and wish him all the best in his post-playing pursuits.

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