Milwaukee Brewers Post Top Bid to Negotiate With Japanese Outfielder Aoki

The Milwaukee Brewers submitted the winning bid for Japanese center fielder Norichika Aoki and will have a 30-day exclusive negotiating window to agree upon a contract with the three-time batting champion.

Tsuyoshi Kinugasa, president of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Central League, told reporters that the Brewers’ winning bid was $2.5 million.

Aoki, 29, who had been posted by the team for auction under the system in which Japanese players are allowed to move to Major League Baseball, batted .292 with four home runs and 44 runs batted in last season.

He is the only player in Japanese baseball history with two 200-hit seasons and has a career average of .329 in eight seasons with the Swallows.

Kinugasa indicated that the bid was $2.5 million (around ¥200 million).

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Rob Gloster at rgloster@bloomberg.net