It was heavily rumored that embattled Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun may be moving to right field in the 2014 season, and now that the Brewers have traded Norichika Aoki to the Kansas City Royals, it would appear as though Braun's move from left to right is imminent.
According to Rotowire, Braun will serve as the Brewers' everyday right fielder now that the Aoki trade has been made.
MLB.com reports that Aoki was sent over to Kansas City in exchange for left handed pitcher Will Smith. Aoki, 31, hit .286 with eight homers, 37 RBIs and 20 stolen bases out of the leadoff spot. Spending time between Triple-A Omaha and Kansas City, where he mostly pitched out of the bullpen but also made one start, Smith was 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA in 19 games.
It was rumored earlier in the offseason that the Brewers were planning on shifting Braun over and now with the deal of Aoki the move is confirmed. Braun was suspended 65 games in 2013 for his connection to the Biogenesis investigation and performance enhancing drugs. With Aoki gone, Khris Davis is expected to play left field.
Major League Baseball stacked "overwhelming" evidence against Braun over the summer leading to the controversial 2011 National League Most Valuable Player to agree to and accept the 65-game ban.
In October, it was reported that general manager Doug Melvin and the team had accepted Braun with open arms after the outfielder apologized publicly and took steps to try to make things right, and that the team was internally discussing moving Braun over to right field.
Braun had the second-highest punishment out of the 14 players the MLB suspended during their Biogenesis investigation. 12 players received and accepted 50-game suspensions while New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez received the harshest punishment to the tune of 211 games but is in the process of fighting the ban.
Braun will shift positions, and Melvin, who denied trade rumors that arose around Braun, believes he's sorry for what he's done and should be forgiven.
"Everybody knows we need Ryan to come back and perform," Melvin told the Journal Sentinel back in October. "He was punished for what he did. I don't' know the details...he served his penalty. Beyond that, I don't think there's anything else to discuss from that standpoint...to be able to perform at the level he needs to perform at."
Melvin said he believes that Braun will be accepted by his peers on the team, even if fans and other players turn against him.
"I think internally, he'll come back, he'll be accepted, Melvin said in October per The Journal Sentinel. "He just needs to continue to go out there and do all the things that every other player does on the 25-man roster. Once he's back in uniform, everyone puts the uniform on together...he'll be accepted from that standpoint."
Braun hit .298 with nine homers, 14 doubles and 38 RBIs last season in 61 games before his suspension was announced.
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