As far as the Red Sox shortstop is concerned, he'll always represent New York City first and foremost. However, he climbed the ladder in the Royals organization before playing at the big league level, so he still has a soft spot for Kansas City.
He's now making his second return to KC since last summer's trade, though, and Aviles returns this time as an integral part of the Red Sox offense.
"I had to turn the page, get on the program with the Red Sox, get rolling and be about what we're doing here now," Aviles said. "I haven't even been here a year but I feel like I've been here a lot longer and feel like I came through the system here."
Aviles' production validates Ben Cherington's vision for Aviles from the offseason. Upon his promotion to Red Sox general manager, Cherington was determined to insert Aviles' bat in the lineup, either as an outfielder or shortstop.
When the opportunity arose to trade Marco Scutaro to Colorado, Cherington didn't hesitate on pulling the trigger. From his vantage point, injuries with the Royals hid Aviles' potential as a key contributor.
"We all felt that he was a good player that given the opportunity would produce," Cherington told NESN.com. "It wasn't anything genius on our part. He's done it before — playing an everyday shortstop. We knew what kind of makeup he had, that he was a tough guy that could handle it. It was just a matter of opportunity."
Aviles had a chance in 2008, winning the shortstop job from Tony Pena. He thrived during his rookie year, hitting .325 with 10 homers and 51 RBIs en route to finishing fourth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.
After injuries sidetracked him shortly thereafter, Aviles was eventually demoted to the role of utility man with the Royals. Those memories, along with the fact he was awarded a paltry $1,000 signing bonus in college, continue to fuel him.
"Any time you don't sign for much, you should feel like you have to prove something," Aviles said. "I feel like I've proven I can play on an everyday basis in the big leagues and I feel like I still need to prove it because that's just my personality. I just like to prove people wrong."
Gasoline was added to that fire in spring training. With many calling for the Red Sox to start defensive wunderkind Jose Iglesias, Aviles responded with a sizzling spring training output, belting more doubles than Iglesias had hits.
He's ignited the Red Sox offense ever since, clubbing five homers and collecting 19 RBIs through 27 games this season. If he can continue on that pace, the 31-year-old is on track to set career highs in homers and RBIs.
Despite Aviles' age — and lack of innings in the majors — Cherington believes greener pastures are still ahead for the shortstop.
"He's certainly a good major leaguer and there's no reason he can't be one for a very long time," Cherington said. "Mike's getting that chance now, maybe a little bit later than some other guys, but to his credit, he's persevered. And he's doing what he needs to do with it now."
His play now is a far cry from last season when he toiled away in Omaha, with the Royals' Triple-A affiliate. Whether it was Scutaro or Iglesias standing in his way, Aviles has continues to battle through adversity.
"He's a tough kid — went to small school in New York, wasn't a high draft pick — so he's been proving people wrong for a long time," Cherington said. "You put him in that situation in spring training where we're basically telling him 'Hey, go prove it to us again,' and he did."
Looks like he's finally right at home.
Have a question for Didier Morais? Send it to him via Twitter at @DidierMorais or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.
