By Jordan Long
The New York Yankees are keeping center fielder Aaron Hicks. Hicks agreed to a 7-year, $70 million extension. $64 million is guaranteed with a club option for 2026 which could make the deal worth $81.5 million.
Hicks has been with the New York Yankees since 2016. Last season he hit .248 with 27 home runs and 79 RBI’s. Those numbers aren’t bad, but what helped the Yankees at the plate was his patience. Hicks made the pitchers work the count. Those ended in walks with 90 free passes to 1st base. Hicks isn’t a power hitter, but he is able to hit the ball in the gap for extra bases ending in 18 doubles.
New York trusts him to be their everyday center fielder. Last season he appeared in 131 games at the position. Hicks rarely made an error when catching the baseball with only 2 all of last season. Teams don’t try to run on his arm because they know if they try to advance Hicks will catch runners moving up a base for outs. Hicks ended up with 2 outfield assists.
Hicks was ready to play in the final year of his deal this year. He was going to make $6 million and hit free agency once the year was up. This new agreement will pay him $8 million this year and keep him with New York until at least the 2026 season.
According to nytimes.com, Hicks said, “It was a fair deal for both sides. This is an organization I want to stay with. I want to be on this team. It has a great future.”
New York might be overpaying for him but they had to. They couldn’t let him reach free agency because many teams would be calling. Hicks is a fit in any outfield.
This keeps the core of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Hicks together for at least the next 3-years. They are going help the Yankees win with their ability to smack the ball and drive in runs. The only way this deal won’t work is if Hicks is hurt and they fail to make a few World Series. On paper, the Yankees are going to be tough to beat until 2026.
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