New York Yankees release Aaron Hicks
Less than a week after designating him for assignment, the Yankees have released Aaron Hicks, the team announced Friday.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 26, 2023
• Recalled RHP Randy Vásquez (#98) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
• Released OF Aaron Hicks.
Hicks was in year five of a seven-year, $70 million contract. During the first few years of the contract, Hicks gave them good value at the dish, posting OPS+ of 120 from 2017-20, but it cratered to 78 in the subsequent three seasons, never surpassing 86.
His bat was never truly elite, but what carried him was his elite defense in center field. He had plus speed and a cannon of an arm making him a true weapon out in center field, but the defense started to slip; with the bat getting even worse, there just became little value for Hicks for this Yankees team.
In 76 plate appearances this season, he hit .188/.263/.261 with one homer and five RBIs. Dating back to 2021, the stats don’t get much better. The slash line becomes .209/.315/.310 with just 13 homers and 59 RBIs in 190 games (655 plate appearances).
Now when I mentioned that his defense has started to slip, that was talking by Aaron Hicks’ standards. As a defender, it’s a bit higher than that of the average outfielder. But the truth is, even as he has continued to struggle, the defense has still been very solid. He isn’t playing center anymore on account of his older age and diminished speed, but as an LF in 2022, he posted eight defensive runs saved.
Now while hitting as a whole has been a weakness for Hicks, there is a potential silver lining. That being his ability to hit LHP at maybe an average level. In 2021, he posted decent stats against lefties and for his career hits .247/.327/.415 against them.
Hicks is certainly past his prime. But I don’t think that means he can’t provide value for some teams. At the very least, he can be a solid defensive addition to a team or can serve as a platoon against left-handed pitching.
His time in New York hasn’t been the greatest, but maybe a change of scenery is just what Hicks needs. We know that the New York atmosphere isn’t for everyone and maybe Hicks can flourish in a new city.
Regardless of where Aaron Hicks ends up, though, the Yankees will still be on the hook to pay out the rest of his contract. Which should entice more teams to take a shot on the once highly touted prospect. They owe him his $10.5 million for this year and $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons.
Now this won’t even be a hiccup in the Yankees payroll. They will pay this without it even batting an eye; I mean it’s the Yankees. But again, this should be enough for some team to take a risk on Hicks. You are basically getting him for free and he could still provide you with some great value.
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