Yankees Still Trying to Trade Josh Donaldson, Aaron Hicks Before Opening Day
All offseason, the Yankees have been trying to trade third baseman Josh Donaldson and outfielder Aaron Hicks.
With less than one month to go until position players report to spring training, that initiative continues, with New York trying to sweeten the pot for other teams as they look for a trade partner.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Yankees continue to tell other clubs that Donaldson and Hicks are "very much available" and that New York is willing to eat a portion of those contracts to make a deal.
It's no surprise that it's been a challenge for New York to move those veterans this winter.
Donaldson is owed $29 million in 2023. He'll make $21 million in 2023 with a 2024 club option that includes a buyout worth $8 million. Hicks will make $10 million next season. He's owed $30.5 million before he can hit free agency in 2026, the remaining three years on his seven-year, $70 million contract.
Other clubs would feel better about the cost attached to these players if they were more productive. They weren't in 2022.
While Donaldson played elite defense at the hot corner—he produced plus-7 defensive runs saved—he put together the worst year of his career on offense. Donaldson, 37, slashed .22/.308/.374 with only 15 home runs in 132 games.
Hicks was able to silence some durability concerns for the majority of the year (before a season-ending injury in the playoffs), nearly matching his career-high with 130 games played. Still, the switch-hitting outfielder was practically unusable for much of the year, hitting .216/.330/.313 with eight homers and 109 strikeouts. By the end of the season, Hicks was getting the Joey Gallo treatment from fans in the Bronx.
If the Yankees can find a way to get rid of Donaldson or Hicks, they have players internally that can step up at third base and in left field, respectively.
DJ LeMahieu would be in line to play third while Isiah Kiner-Falefa can also make the move over from shortstop, opening the door for prospects Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe to secure big-league playing time.
Spark plug Oswaldo Cabrera is best in a utility role, but he showed in 2022 that he's capable of playing quality defense in the outfield, another way to get his switch-hitting bat in the lineup. Estevan Florial is an option as well, along with new faces like Rafael Ortega and Willie Calhoun, who signed minor league deals this winter.
MORE:
- Why the Yankees Aren't Expected to Sign Left Fielder Before Spring Training
- What to Make of Aaron Boone's Latest Comments on Yankees' Shortstop 'Battle'
- Yankees Checked in on This Veteran Infielder in Free Agency
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