Oct. 11: Hicks is a definite consideration for the ALCS roster, per manager Aaron Boone. Ken Davidoff of the New York Post spoke to Hicks and also has quotes from GM Brian Cashman on the looming decision. Hicks, notably, said at one point during his current injury absence, he was bracing himself for the news that he would require Tommy John surgery. That didn’t end up being the case, thankfully for both Hicks and the team, and Cashman now faces a “complicated” decision on how to best compose the roster that’ll square off against the Astros.1
Oct. 8: The Yankees could get an important piece back prior to their upcoming ALCS matchup against either the Astros or the Rays. Center fielder Aaron Hicks, out since early August due to a flexor strain in his right elbow, tells Mark Didtler of the Associated Press that he is “definitely” ready to return to the lineup. Hicks adds that he’s been facing live pitching, throwing to bases and “pretty much doing everything” in terms of baseball activities.
The Yankees haven’t made any formal decision on Hicks’ status and presumably won’t announce their ALCS roster until this weekend. That said, a healthy Hicks would be a defensive boost for the Yankees, who have been playing a potentially less-than-100-percent Giancarlo Stanton in left field after he missed nearly the entire season due to injury. Hicks could conceivably push Cameron Maybin off the Yankees’ roster in the next round, though Maybin certainly helped his cause with last night’s late home run after replacing Stanton for defensive purposes. Tyler Wade and Luke Voit, meanwhile, both made the Yankees’ ALDS roster but did not make a plate appearance in the team’s three-game sweep of the Twins.
Hicks, who turned 30 last week, signed a seven-year, $70MM contract with the Yankees in Spring Training (six years and $64MM in new money), but a back injury landed him on the injured list to open the season. Between that back issue and the more recent flexor strain, the switch-hitting Hicks was limited to 59 games and 255 plate appearances, during which time he hit .235/.325/.443 with a dozen home runs. That translated to roughly league-average offensive production (102 wRC+, 103 OPS+) but was also a far cry from the combined .255/.368/.470 slash he posted from 2017-18.
The Yankees placed Hicks on the 60-day injured list in September, so they’d have to make a corresponding 40-man roster move if they decide to activate Hicks for the next round of play. That could likely be achieved by moving Mike Tauchman to the 60-day injured list in his place, though. Tauchman suffered a Grade 2 calf strain that was expected to sideline him for up to eight weeks just under a month ago.
Seat Bring back Voit, and trade Hicks he sucks
Hmmmm. Talent. A forgotten word.
Voit has a few good months, but has been a career minor leaguer for a reason, Aaron Hicks is a top defensive CF and very clutch hitter
@bucnole31658
In 2015 Mike Trout had a typical fantastic season. Does anyone know (or care) that for the month of August he hit a putrid .218/.352/.337 for a lousy well below average .689 OPS with just 1 homer? No. It’s called a slump and everyone, even the best current and future HOF go thru it. Voit has had successive monthly OPS of .915, .832, 960, .799 (suffered thru his injury) and slumped in the month of September with a .194/.326/.347 with an OPS of .673. It’s a slump and nothing more.
My argument ISN’T pro-Voit for the roster spot. It might make more sense to have Hicks in the line-up if it improves the defense. But that also means pushing EE out of the DH spot (or sit Stanton). But to use a month long slump as an indictment that sums up his short career is a joke. Just as we don’t value a player month to month but look at the total picture, Voit’s season of .263/.378/.464 with a .842 OPS which is 10th overall among 1B/DH types.
And by your oddball definition, Austin Meadows is a career minor league player too since he was drafted the same year as Voit (2013) and despite both posting almost identical good numbers….
AB-1970/1999
OPS- 827/.834
HRS-46/67
…it took them both about the same amount of time to make it to the majors and stick. Both came up for a cup of coffee with their original team. Voit appeared in 124 AB in 2017 w/ the Cards and Meadows with 165 AB in 2018. with the Pirates. Each was traded and blossomed when their new team gave them ample time to play.
The term “career minor leaguer” usually applies to guys who’ve been in the minors for 7 or 8 seasons, struggle to show anything in their call-ups and bounce back and forth from AAA to the majors and organization to organization but never sticking. Thus far, Meadows and Voit look like they wont have to worry about a job in 2020.
If this was mortal combat and I was Nook Saibot (whatever his name is) I just Down, Down, Down + Front Punched you buddy. You’ve been split into piece and you can’t do nothing about it except lay there and bleed.
s/o to my kids for that one.
If by chance you’re in NY, the first round is on me. That was a fantastic take down.
When he’s healthy and stays on the field.
He just signed a $70 million contract I don’t think that’s happening
Great, can’t wait to watch a rusty Hicks strikeout and ground out to 2nd base. Still can’t believe Cashman inked this guy to a long-term deal. Smh
$10 mil a year for their future switch hitting left fielder isn’t a very big gamble on Cashman‘ part.
Atta boy
Hmm me I’d kinda rather have left field open for a big bat but that’s just me.
It’s honestly more the injuries than anything. He’s made some great plays and had some clutch at bats but how can 1 guy possibly get hurt this much?
Ask Ellsbury and Bird
Ellsbury has been hurt once
Uh…
2010 – On DL twice, for 3 months
2012 – On DL once, for 3 months
2013 – On DL once, for a month
2015 – On DL once, for 2 months
2017 – On DL once, for 2 months
2018 – On DL for entire season
2019 – On IL for entire season
My dad hung me on a hook once, ONCE!
Yeah, he’s a veritable iron man
Maybe that is what bucnole meant. He has been hurt once, from 2010 to 2019.
Why? He’s an amazing defender, one of the best in the game and one of the most clutch hitters on the team. Very happy he was given a long term deal
That deal was hella smart by Cashbot.
He would good to have on a 25 man roster, but I do t want him taking at bats from EE, Gardner, Judge or Stanton. Maybe enter for Stanton after 3 at bats.
But Maybin has been great! I’d probably put Hicks on the roster but not in place of Maybin. More as a pinch hitter or if a second defensive sub is needed (never say never with the injuries this team has had)
Hicks for Voit.
Agreed. Voit has no role as a bench piece. He’s not versatile and he’s not going to dh
Yep
Right especially when they have a good thing going using Maybin as a defensive replacement in the 7th, which usually gets him an AB as well. They should stick with what is working.
Couldn’t happen at a better time if Hicks is indeed ready to play. Move weak-throwing Gardner back to left and plant Hicks in center. Leave Lyons off the roster and the team is already better.
So replacing Stanton in left with Gardner means either Stanton is DH or sits and if he is DH than no Encarnacion. I personally would rather have Gardner, Stanton, and Encarnacion over Hicks.
Great problem. They all work.
Lol weak throwing gardner? You realize hes thrown out a ton of baserunners in his career .
He is weak throwing, but accurate. Hits the cutoff like a clinical lesson. I remember when his resigning was panned hard here. A lot of us knew better. WTG Cash!
I was all for the resigning . Gardner had been the fabric of the team the last decade
I was for the signing as well. And loyalty was rewarded (in a very difficult year to keep players on the field) with a healthy Gardy having a career year.
However there were simple minds here like Melch and Geeson whining through August that Cash wasn’t going all in by signing Gardy. They were espousing like children that the Yankees should have signed Manny or Harper.
Gardy has a better slugging % than both. Manny is a loser—he made NO difference last year with the Dodgers when he had his chance.
As for Harper, well the nationals fans are laughing.
And as for the dopes like Geeson (who must have changed his alias here a few times) have been silenced.
That’s a Gardy Party
Gardner is the worst throwing outfielder in baseball, and teams know it.
Far from the worst. See: Blackmon, Charlie.
I tough great deal for the Yankees if he was healthy and with hicks its a huge if so it looks like a bad deal now as he gets older hes best assset hes defence and arm wont be useful and another DH type.
I’d bench him for the playoffs and let the current guys keep playing. Hicks will be rusty
I can’t imagine him being rustier than Stanton has looked.
Stanton looks like he is seeing the ball well just not making solid contact. He could be on the verge of a tear. Hicks would be even further behind.
Stanton’s not swinging at balls that bounce 5 feet before home plate, which is a marked improvement from last year’s post-season.
Don t mess with what’s working. The ALCS is not the place to see how rusty Hicks is.
Is this article a joke? Feels good? You played what 2 games? Good move signing a 220 hitter for 30 years. I swear how does this team think?
They still have Ellsbury too. I wonder how he feels.
Dude… Ellsbury is the real hero of the last 2 years. He might be healthy enough to play, but he’s a good enough soldier to understand that there’s no place on the team for him. This year, for example, they’d have had to send Tauchman down or waive Maybin.
Or more realistically, if Ellsy came off the DL, they’d have to buy him out. He does us a HUGE favor by staying hurt at this point. A HUGE FAVOR.
WS will be anti climatic after Yanks – Astros.
Forget the roster crunch. The only way the Yanks have any hope is if the entire roster gets all savage on Cole and Verlander in the parking lot before the game starts. Do the ol’ Stone Cold Steve Austin attacking Vince McMahon with a bedpan routine.
Otherwise, the Yanks are toast.
Justin Verlander (Career vs. NYY): 8-7, 3.55 ERA in 22 starts.
How could they POSSIBLY beat a guy who’s a game over .500 against them for his career. You’re right. They better Tonya Harding him in the parking lot.
because verlander didn’t have an offense in detroit. duh
The last 2 or 3 years, he didn’t have an offense. He was in Detroit for like 20 years!! They won the division in most of them.
Again, 3.55 ERA in 22 starts. Not exactly a small sample size. Great pitcher, but they don’t have to mug him in the parking lot to get a win.
and going all the way back to 2016 he’s 4-0 in 5 starts vs the Yankees from 2016-2019. I guess I’ll go with, he’s been dominating them for the last 4 years. congrats on beating him up early in his career though, and with a whole bunch of different players too…LMAO
good job beating him twice in 2013 though, i bet that will have something to do with how he does in the 2019 playoffs.
Early in his career? So the first 16 years out of 20 is “early” now?
You can “go with” whatever you want. Whatever that means. Pretty sure what you “go with” will make no difference in the outcome.
Not saying the Yankees WILL BEAT HIM. Just showing that, historically speaking, they HAVE BEAT HIM. That’s all.
P.S. – I feel like I’m arguing with a 12-year old now. So congrats on that.
They don’t have to beat Cole or Verlander. They have to pitch well enough to keep it close and beat the Astros bullpen. The Yankee strength is in the last three innings when their superior offense and bullpen can take control.
Yanks should tell Hicks thanks but we’ll see you spring training. Can’t afford to have him jogging after balls in the gaps or balls that go over his head as he is prone to do.
As for Stanton, I guess you can start him vs. Greinke but he’ll have no shot against Cole and Verlander. Play Maybin in those games. I’d rather have Maybin’s defense and speed than Stanton’s non-competitive at bats.
Stanton Career vs. Cole – 3-10, 2 BB, 4 Ks, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Terribly non-competitive. No prayer. Pray for rain.
@Badfinger
Critiquing Hicks because he’s fragile is a valid thought but never have I seen nor heard of him being lazy in the OF.. If anything he’s always been seen as an above average defender with good routes and a cannon of an arm.
Small and recent sample size aside,
Stanton vs Cole – 1.217 OPS in 12 PA
Stanton vs Verlander- .722 OPS in 9 AB
We’ll see. He at least seems to be picking up the ball in the Twins series. Obviously those two are better than any Twins pitcher.
Hicks should be added. Yanks will need that OF defense in tight games. This decision should have been made already.
if Hicks was considered for needing TJS, that means he’ll probably need it eventually. its always a matter of time when surgery is in consideration.
Because he hasn’t played in a while his defense as well as hitting will be rusty. If added use him selectively
Steve, about transferring Tauchman to open a roster spot, I don’t believe players can be moved to the 60-day IL after the end of the regular season, per Cub Reporter:
thecubreporter.com/book/export/html/3538
“A player cannot be placed on the MLB 60-day Injured List after the conclusion of the MLB regular season, and during the post-season and off-season, up until the start of Spring Training (beginning on the date that pitchers & catchers are scheduled to report).”
Gotta keep Maybin on the roster. If they’re determined to add Hicks they should bump Voit.