Aaron Hicks collected a $10.5 million wage final season, the identical quantity he raked in through the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and the identical quantity he’ll convey house this upcoming season.
Most folks, together with Hicks himself, would seemingly say that the Yankee outfielder has not essentially earned that good-looking wage, although. While the monetary blame doesn’t lie with Hicks — it’s not his fault the entrance workplace provided him a seven-year, $70 million extension previous to 2019, and Hicks would have been insane to show that down — the tough actuality is that he has not performed just like the franchise heart fielder the Yankees hoped he’d be.
Hicks isn’t even the first heart fielder anymore. Aaron Judge began there extra usually than another Yankee in 2022, and Harrison Bader is the clear entrance runner for the job in 2023. If Judge leaves in free company, that might open up some extra enjoying time for Hicks, and he might even be a starter once more if Andrew Benintendi doesn’t return and the Yankees can’t discover an satisfactory alternative.
But the thought of Hicks enjoying day by day creates the precise reverse feeling because it did 4 years in the past, when he had simply signed the extension and was coming off a career-high 27 house runs and 4.3 Wins Above Replacement in 2018. Hicks was good for simply eight homers in 2022. He misplaced his beginning outfield spot in August, and regardless of a second-straight yr with a WRC+ of 90 or worse, he was thrust again into the lineup when Benintendi received harm in September.
The remaining numbers from Hicks’ worst season — he performed in additional video games than another season of his profession save for the 2018 breakout — present a .216/.330/.313 slash line with simply 19 additional base hits. He grounded into the identical quantity of double performs (10) as he had stolen bases. In each May and August, months the place he made at the very least 55 plate appearances, Hicks had an OPS below .400.
There had been some rays of hope, although they solely peered by the clouds on temporary events. Hicks was good in June and July, working an .801 OPS and recording 11 of his 19 complete additional base hits. But he ended July with 4 hitless video games in opposition to the Royals, which snowballed into 9 video games. From July 28 to Aug. 6, he made 32 plate appearances and didn’t get a single hit. That was mainly the top of the road for Hicks, as his enjoying time dwindled and disdain from the followers grew bigger. By the postseason, a rookie who performed simply 34 innings within the outfield within the minor leagues was trusted greater than Hicks.
The query now could be what to do with Hicks. Straight up releasing him means consuming over $30 million {dollars}. Getting one other group to tackle his contract in a commerce would imply together with a way more fascinating participant, in all probability somebody the Yankees don’t need to hand over. And enjoying him persistently in 2023 means the Yankees both whiffed on the free agent and commerce entrance this winter or nonetheless have some type of misguided attachment to a participant that’s clearly in decline.
Hicks bounced completely between left and heart discipline. He confirmed sufficient spring in his step (and baseball instincts) to make each the attention take a look at and the superior numbers respect his protection in left. Center discipline was a distinct story, as he completed with negative-four Defensive Runs Saved and negative-one Outs Above Average on the way more essential place. Having Bader ensures that Hicks received’t need to man heart discipline almost as usually, however his bat just isn’t worthy of a nook outfield spot anymore. Hicks’ slugging share, anticipated slugging share, weighted on-base common, hard-hit share, barrel share and remoted energy have all cratered.
His velocity goes too, leaving only a few issues that may justify any quantity of normal reps. One space the place Hicks excels is drawing walks, however as pitchers realized that they’ll get him out contained in the strike zone, that quantity fell as properly. A 15.3% stroll price within the first half melted to 11.6% within the second half, which remains to be above common, however largely speaks to how unafraid of him the league has turn into. After hovering proper round 54% for the primary months of the season, the proportion of fastballs that Hicks noticed within the strike zone jumped to 63.1% in August. He registered simply 4 hits off in-zone fastballs that month, all of which had been singles.
That is maybe probably the most telling statistic in terms of Hicks’ precipitous drop. A fastball over the plate is probably the most elementary factor for a hitter to deal with, they usually’ve began giving him critical bother. The clearest reply for the Yankees is to make use of Hicks as a really costly fourth outfielder, even when that can include a heavy quantity of embarrassment for Brian Cashman and the remainder of the suppose tank that elected to present an injury-prone outfielder a profitable extension that’s assured to pay him by his age-35 season.
Hicks’ contract additionally features a $12.5 million membership choice for 2026, which is as more likely to get picked up as it’s that Hicks breaks Judge’s house run document. Ideally for the Yankees, they’ll have moved on by then, both through commerce or admitting they had been flawed and swallowing no matter’s left on the deal ought to they resolve to launch him.
But that’s nonetheless a couple of years away, and for the rapid future, Hicks’ place on the bench is a reminder of an funding gone flawed.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com