Aoki settles in as a new Jay
Four days after trade to Toronto, outfielder gets a warm welcome
Just four days after being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, Nori Aoki returned to Minute Maid Park on Friday to face his former team.
The 35-year-old Japanese outfielder — part of a deal that sent pitcher Francisco Liriano to the Astros on Monday — was not in Friday’s starting lineup, but he made his first appearance as a Blue Jay in the bottom of the eighth, replacing Jose Bautista in right field.
Aoki tipped his helmet to the home crowd when he came to the plate in the top of the ninth to a standing ovation. With two outs and no one on, he grounded out to close a 16-7 Astros victory.
“I didn’t think I’d get that kind of a reaction,” Aoki said after the game. “I appreciate everything from the Astros fans.”
As he stretched on the left side of the diamond during warm-ups Friday, Aoki was greeted warmly by a number of Astros team staff members and former teammates.
The lefthanded hitter batted .272 with two home runs and a .694 OPS across 202 at-bats with the Astros this season after being signed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners last November. In his previous 10 games, Aoki was hitting .346 with eight RBI.
“It’s going to be nice to see familiar faces on the other side and play against them,” Aoki said through a translator before Friday’s series opener. “This feels like the major leagues, you know, just getting to know a lot of different players from different teams. It’s fun. It’s exciting.”
In the hours after the deal was announced, Aoki said he was surprised to learn he would be leaving Houston.
“This is a team that I started spring training with and we started the season looking to go to the postseason and win a championship, so in that sense I’m disappointed,” he said Monday.
He joined the Blue Jays in Chicago this week for a three-game series against the White Sox, however, with an enthusiastic mindset.
“I think it’s the same with everyone. You can’t just turn the page immediately, as soon as you find out (you have been traded),” Aoki said Friday. “But the way I live my life is trying to take everything positive and just move forward.”
Entering Friday, Aoki had not seen in-game action with Toronto, whose outfield options include six-time All-Star Bautista, Kevin Pillar, Steve Pearce and Ezequiel Carrera, but said he had enjoyed settling in with the team over the past few days.
“It feels different ... but the players are all great guys and treat me really well,” Aoki said. “It doesn’t take much time at all (to acclimate to a new club). It should be a matter of time before I feel at home here too.”