Yankees To Cut Aaron Hicks After 8 Seasons? Designated Him For Assignment Before Matchup With Reds

The New York Yankees made the decision to release Aaron Hicks officially on May 20. The outfielder, 33, had been a part of the group since the 2016 campaign.

Yankees To Cut Aaron Hicks After 8 Seasons? Designated Him For Assignment Before Matchup With the Reds

Hicks was designated for assignment, the club declared on Saturday. He had already packed his bags, cleared out his locker, and said his goodbyes to his comrades by the time the media was permitted access to the clubhouse.

The timing of the news’s release was a little odd this afternoon because the switch-hitting outfielder appeared to be making a turn.

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The company revealed on Twitter that this action was taken to make room for Greg Allen, who was acquired through trade from the Boston Red Sox yesterday night.

Hicks’ contract still had three years and around $30 million remaining to run. This season, Hicks played in 28 games and hit.188 with a.524 OPS.


Over the previous week and a half, the switch hitter had begun to show signs of life, batting.353 (6-for-17) with a 1.097 OPS.

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“It is what it is,” Hicks told The Post. “It’s part of the business side of it. Just got to move on to the next chapter.

“This is a very good baseball team,” he added. “It kind of seemed like it wasn’t working out for me. Obviously with the decision they decided to make, maybe somewhere else might be a little bit better.”

Many people thought Aaron Hicks would be an important member of the Yankees for the rest of the next ten years after they traded for him from the Minnesota Twins in 2016.

Following an outstanding 2018, the New York Yankees gave the California native a rich seven-year deal worth $70 million through 2025. The Yankees will now be responsible for paying his contract until he signs with another team, at which point they will divide the difference.

Hicks will certainly join another team, but he won’t ever again get the chance to open games for a group like the New York Yankees in the outfield.

Hicks spent his entire playing career in New York with the Yankees, spending eight seasons there and accumulating 661 hits, including 101 home runs. The 2018 season, during which he placed 22nd in the MVP vote, was the pinnacle of his employment. That season, Hicks had a 4.8 bWAR.

 

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