Yankees Hope Aaron Hicks Can Bounce Back Next Season
Aaron Hicks started the 2022 season with a heavy dose of ambition.
The veteran outfielder told reporters during spring training that he was shooting for a 30-30 season this year. He asserted that a 30-homer campaign was "reachable," adding that he's confident he can "easily" reach 30 stolen bases.
As much as Hicks stayed on the field this year—a recurring issue over the last several seasons since he signed a massive seven-year, $70 million extension with New York in 2019—he never came close to those lofty goals.
The switch-hitting outfielder struggled mightily, batting .216/.330/.313 with eight home runs in 130 games. Hicks stole 10 bags, his most in a single season since 2018, but also struck out 109 times, two away from tying his career-high.
Hicks showed life in June and July. The 33-year-old hit .260 with a .801 OPS over those two summer months, slugging five of his home runs with 24 RBI in a 49-game span. In August, however, his campaign deteriorated. From August 1 to the final day of the regular season, Hicks slashed .178/.263/.263. He was relegated to the bench for days at a time, often making his situation worse with untimely o-fers and defensive blunders, some more inexplicable than others.
The icing on the cake for Hicks, in the worst way, was an injury in Game 5 of the American League Division Series. Charging in from left field, Hicks hurt his left knee, colliding with shortstop Oswaldo Cabrera. New York went on to win that game, advancing to the Championship Series, but Hicks' season was over.
So, what's next for this aging outfielder, a player that continues to fall short of the expectations attached to his salary ($10.5 million in both 2022 and 2023)?
Hicks didn't exactly earn a starting role with his performance this year, but with three years remaining before he can hit free agency, general manager Brian Cashman is hopeful the outfielder can bounce back next spring.
"He'll be back and healthy," Cashman said during his end-of-season presser at Yankee Stadium earlier this month. "He's signed under contract. He'll come back and try to take and earn a position back and a place that we can count on. He does have the ability, we just weren't able to tap into it consistently this past year and I know he was frustrated by that."
Cashman was asked specifically if he's trying to trade Hicks, one way to open a spot for another outfielder on New York's roster and get rid of his salary.
The GM didn't tip his hand.
"I wouldn't say who I would be or wouldn't be looking to move," said Cashman. "I would give you the just general comment that we're going to look to find any way possible to find ways to improve the roster and if that's dealing with exports or imports, or both, so be it. We'll see what options come available in any discussion on anybody on our roster. He's a member of this team, and we're gonna do everything we can to get him healthy and right and get him back on track. Unless something changes there, with discussions elsewhere, but that's true of anybody on the roster that doesn't have a no trade clause."
New York has a few options in left field for next season other than Hicks. They could bring Andrew Benintendi back in free agency, the lefty-swinging outfielder that they traded for at this summer's deadline. Before Benintendi suffered a season-ending injury in September, the outfielder showed that he's a good fit in pinstripes. New York missed his bat in the playoffs.
Other outfielders will be available on the open market this winter as well, even Japanese star Matasaka Yoshida.
If the Yankees roll with their internal options, they'd be relying on a mix of Hicks and some former prospects to get the job done. Cabrera is an infielder by trade, but he showed this year that he's capable of performing in the corner outfield positions at the big-league level.
Either the Yankees move him to left field on a full-time basis or give a player like Estevan Florial another chance in pinstripes. That said, Florial hasn't panned out in his time with the big-league club over the last few years and Cabrera profiles as a piece that would excel in multiple roles, moving around all over the diamond.
Giancarlo Stanton could play more left field next season as well, but that would be risky. The oft-injured slugger has been used almost exclusively at designated hitter and occasionally in right field, steering clear of a spacious left field in the Bronx under normal circumstances.
MORE:
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- Yankees Could Answer Left Field Questions With This Japanese Star
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