"Apparently seeking to add depth in the outfield with Ryan Braun facing a 50-game suspension to open next season, the Milwaukee Brewers have entered into the bidding for Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki.

The posting for Aoki, a two-time Central League batting champion with the Yakult Swallows, is a blind process that ends on Thursday, at which time the winning team will be informed of its high bid by the commissioner's office.

If the Brewers wind up getting the high bid, they would have a 30-day window in which they would seek to negotiate a contract with the left-handed-hitting Aoki.

If a deal can't be worked out between the Brewers and Aoki, the amount Milwaukee bid for his exclusive negotiating rights would be returned by Yakult.

A story Friday in the Japanese sports daily Hochi Shimbun stated the Brewers had already won the negotiating rights to Aoki with a $2.5 million bid, news that was picked up by numerous American news outlets."