Mariners sign Nori Aoki to one-year deal

Nori Aoki of the San Francisco Giants in the second inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 21, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bob Dutton of The (Tacoma) News Tribune reported the deal is pending a physical.

The Mariners also announced the signing of right-handed reliever Justin De Fratus to a one-year deal and completed the trade of Mark Trumbo and pitcher C.J. Riefenhauser to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for catcher Steve Clevenger. He was hit in the head by a pitch from NL Cy Young victor Jake Arrieta and after sitting out three days, ran into the wall while making a catch when he returned. Aoki played in two games, then went on the disabled list. He visited a concussion specialist in early September and didn’t play again.

Aoki, 33, will be entering his fifth Major League Baseball season in 2016 after spending his first two years in Milwaukee followed by a stint in Kansas City for a year before playing 2015 for the San Francisco Giants.

The Seattle Mariners have been one of the busiest teams in the offseason and they continued that trend on Wednesday, as reports have the team signing outfield Nori Aoki to a contract. He has been medically cleared, however, and is 100 percent ready to go. 305 with a. 365 on-base percentage.

He made $4 million last season with the Giants, who declined to pick up his option, perhaps in part because Aoki is considered a bit of a liability defensively.