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The Kansas City Royals acquired outfielder Norichika Aoki from Milwaukee to be their leadoff hitter Thursday, which also means the Brewers are likely to shift Ryan Braun to right field. Milwaukee received left-hander Will Smith, who spent most of the past couple seasons shuffling between Kansas City and Triple-A Omaha, and between the bullpen and the starting rotation. Royals general manager Dayton Moore on a conference call that he envisions Aoki batting at the top of the order, just as he did with the Brewers, which would allow Alex Gordon to slide down into an RBI-producing role. Aoki hit .286 with eight homers, 37 RBIs and 20 steals last season. Aoki, who turns 32 next month, also ranked second in the majors with 40 infield hits, and .339 against left-handed pitching, the best average by a left-handed hitter in the big leagues. He struck out just 40 times in 674 plate appearances. "We like his energy, we like his work ethic. Hes a pro," Moore said. "We had a chance to see him a lot in Japan coming up. ... Well see how it plays out." Aoki, who is in the last year of his contract, is due $1.25 million this season. He can also make up to $1,087,500 in performance bonuses based on starts and games played. The Royals already bolstered their rotation this off-season by agreeing to a four-year, $32 million deal with Jason Vargas. Now theyve acquired the leadoff hitter they have long coveted. Moore said hes still working on adding an impact bat, especially in the outfield. Veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran, who began his career with the Royals, spent time in Kansas City earlier this week. Hes reportedly seeking a three-year, $48 million deal. "Theyre far and few," Moore said. "That being said, thats an area were trying to pursue, but let me say this, we definitely feel all our offensive players are still improving. They have not reached their peak performance. Theyre going to continue to get better." By moving Aoki, the Brewers could head into next season with rookie Khris Davis in left field, Gold Glove-winner Carlos Gomez in centre and Braun in right. Braun is expected back after his season-ending, 65-game suspension for violating Major League Baseballs anti-drug agreement. Davis emerged down the stretch last season, filling in for Braun in left by hitting .279 with 11 homers. Brewers general manager Doug Melvin had said in late September there were discussions within the organization about whether to move Braun across the outfield. "The thinking is its a little easier to find left fielders than it is right fielders," Melvin said. "If youre trying to field right field with a platoon situation, then both guys have to be able to throw well. Both guys have to be good defenders." Melvin said hes been watching Smith for a couple years. He called Smith a "24-year-old, big, physical left-hander who we feel can be part of our staff." The Brewers finished last season with five right-handed starters, headlined by Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse, and Smith gives them an option for a left-hander to slot into the rotation. He went 6-9 with a 5.32 ERA in 16 starts two years ago. Smith went 8-10 with a 4.76 ERA in 35 games, including 17 starts, during his time in Kansas City. He was 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA last year, with 43 strikeouts in 33 innings, pitching primarily in relief. Smith said Thursday that while he developed a slider to complement his fastball during relief work, "I am excited to get a shot back in the rotation." And yes, hes preparing to hear a fresh round of jokes from his new team about sharing the same name as the famous Hollywood actor. "I get them all the time," the easygoing Smith said in a conference call. "I think Im just learning to live with it ... Its all good." The Royals deep bullpen ultimately made Smith expendable. "I feel like our team is improved with the signing of Jason Vargas and the trade for Nori," Moore said, "knowing full well were going to have to continue to look for ways to improve if were going to win a world championship. I dont view this move as us being complete." Yellow Air VaporMax 2018 Outlet .Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday it is inevitable that the league will one day take after European sports and have sponsor names on team jerseys. Cheap Air VaporMax China . -- Conner Bleackley got it done in regulation time and in the shootout. http://www.cheapairvapormaxfreeshipping.com/. As Valanciunas was whistled for a rare technical toward the end of the third quarter - a result of waving his hand at an official after being called for a foul - Lowry pulled the Raptors sophomore aside, corralling him by his jersey and patting him on the back. Red Air VaporMax 2018 On Sale .com) - The Los Angeles Kings peppered Ryan Miller with shot after shot. Air VaporMax Sale . Cornet won six straight games to rally from a 2-0 deficit and take the first set. The 25th-ranked Frenchwoman broke back twice in the second set before Bacsinszky saved a match point at 5-4.DETROIT -- Minnesota Twins star Joe Mauer was put on the seven-day concussion disabled list after he experienced dizziness during his pregame route and was scratched from the lineup against the Detroit Tigers. "Im glad we have the means to find out that someones hurt and do the right thing for them," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said after a 6-3 win Tuesday night. "For a long time, you had guys playing through these things, but now we have the tests to find out that something is wrong and take care of them." Gardenhire said a few hours before the first pitch that Mauer was probably not going to catch during the three-game series in Detroit, adding he planned to play him in each game as the first baseman or designated hitter. Mauer caught Mondays game against the New York Mets. "He did take a lot of balls off thee mask, but that has nothing to do with this," Gardenhire said Tuesday afternoon, explaining why Mauer was in the original lineup at first base for the series opener in Detroit.dddddddddddd "Hes fine." Justin Morneau was shifted from designated hitter to first to replace Mauer in the field. Outfielder Chris Hermann moved up to hit second in Mauers place in the lineup. Mauer is hitting .324 with 11 homers and 47 RBIs for the Twins, who sit in fourth place in the AL Central. Morneau, who has battled concussions since 2010, said the team made the right choice by placing Mauer on the seven-day DL. "I definitely think it is the best," Morneau said. "The worst thing anyone can do is try to play through a concussion because then you get another one and you can be out for a long time. I know." ' ' '