The Yankees announced the release of outfielder Aaron Hicks prior to Friday’s game against the Padres, officially ending the former standout’s tumultuous eight-year stint with the club.
The news of Hicks’s release came nearly one week after New York designated the 33-year-old for assignment. In his 28 games played this season, Hicks recorded 13 hits, one home run and five RBI while slashing a paltry .188/.263/.261.
Now free to join any team of his choosing as a free agent, Hicks, a 2008 Twins draft pick who joined the Yankees via trade in Nov. 2015, will look to reclaim his once-promising career in a new city. The 11-year veteran endured a rocky run in NYC, where he was derailed by numerous ailments, including surgery to repair a torn wrist sheath in 2021 and Tommy John surgery following the ’19 season.
Prior to his injuries, Hicks appeared to be on track to becoming a pivotal piece for the Yankees following a breakout 2018 campaign. Hicks recorded 119 hits, 27 home runs and 79 RBI while hitting .248 in 137 games—all career highs—and went on to ink a seven-year, $70 million extension in Feb. ’19.
In seven seasons with the Yankees, Hicks logged 477 hits, 81 home runs and 278 RBI in 651 games played.
With his time in the Big Apple now over, Hicks‘s next deal is expected to be for the league minimum, although he is still owed money from his Yankees contract. The club was already on the hook for $10.5 million in 2023, and will also pay Hicks $20 million after this season, per USA Today.
