Aaron Hicks #31 of the New York Yankees hits a two-run double in the ninth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on June 1, 2017 in Toronto, Canada.
The New York Yankees re-signed key outfielder Aaron Hicks to a seven-year extension this week before he hit the free agency market. The contract will run through the 2025 season. The deal also reportedly includes a club option for the 2026 season.
Though exact details of the contract aren’t out, Hicks will make $70 million over the first seven years of the deal. The outfielder will skip over his final year of arbitration and kick off the deal this year.
“He’s a big part of this team and a big part of our success … I always love playing by him,” said Yankees star Aaron Judge of Hicks. “To hear he got seven years, we’ll be playing together for a long time.”
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Hicks was scheduled to hit free agency after the 2019 season. In a class marked for its lack of outfield depth, the Hicks deal looks like a steal for both sides. The 29 year old is coming off career highs in games, homers, RBIs, and WAR. He was good for a .248 average, 27 homers, and 79 RBIs in his third season in New York.
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Interestingly, the contract comes just over a month after he signed a one-year, $6 million deal to stay with the Yankees. During his time in New York, the switch-hitting outfielder has been invaluable to the budding contenders. Manager Aaron Boone referred to Hicks as “maybe the most underrated player in the game.”
The Yankees will use Hicks similarly to current fourth outfielder Brett Gardner. With Judge in right field, Giancarlo Stanton holding down the designated hitter spot, and some combination of prospects Clint Frazier and Estevan Florial in left field, Hicks is a dependable bat without much pressure. As he declines, he can easily slide over to left, be a plus defender and let one of the younger guys man center similar to how Gardner did. The deal allows New York to compete in his current year while also providing a steady path for the future.
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