The Yankees have committed to center fielder Aaron Hicks with a seven year deal worth $70 million. It is the longest deal the Yankees have given a player since they awarded Derek Jeter with a 10-year, $189 million deal in 2001.
While the deal is cash friendly, as the Yankees will only spend about $10 million a year on Hicks, the years are insane. Hicks will be under contract through his age 36 season, and only lived up to his potential as an everyday player last season. It is hard to fathom why the Yankees would be so willing to doll out such a commitment to a player who has hit only .236 and produced a slugging percentage of .396 in the first six years of his career.
It is a huge gamble.
Last season Hicks played in 137 games, and produced a career high 27 homers and 79 RBI, while hitting .248. Defensively, Hicks was solid, committing only two errors in 131 games in centerfield, and owns a lifetime .994 fielding percentage. What the Yankees might be losing in offense, they can make up defensively with Hicks on a nightly basis.
But for seven years? It's hard to see it working out for that long. Hicks has to prove that his breakout campaign in 2018 wasn't a fluke, and he has to prove he can remain healthy.
Had the Yankees let Hicks hit free agency next winter, he would have the most notable center fielder on the free agent list, and could have cashed in on a bigger financial contract with someone.
The Yankees didn't want to take that chance of having to pay more money to Hicks later, and with prospect Estevan Florial still one to two years away from making a big league impact, the Yankees wanted the collateral of having a veteran they could control.
For the short term, keeping Hicks around is a good move, but for seven years? Nah. At the least it gets the Yankees to Florial when he is ready.
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