Reporter Yoon-Jun Ko = New York Yankees Aaron Judge contracted and Carlos Rodon had a busy offseason, but at present, the plan to reinforce the left field seems to have gone awry.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman appeared on radio ‘Sirius XM’ on the 24th (Korean time) and had an interview related to the offseason. He was asked for the left field position and said, “I see Hicks as probably the best candidate for left field. Everyone knows he’s a really talented player.”
Hicks has been playing in a Yankees uniform since 2016 and has shown good form in center field. Accordingly, in 2019, a seven-year, $70 million contract was signed, and the contract continues until 2025. However, Hicks has been suffering from frequent injuries since 2019, when the contract began, and there are many days when he is excluded from the roster.
Last year, he played in 130 games, more than 100 in three years, but had a batting average of 0.216, 8 home runs, and an OPS of 0.643, giving up the center fielder position to Harrison Bader. He naturally moved to left field, but the Yankees were not satisfied with this, and they constantly watched free agents and the trade market. 먹튀검증
It is known that he actually negotiated to trade Brian Reynolds from the Pittsburgh Pirates and Max Kepler from the Minnesota Twins, but felt burdened by the compensation. Here, in the free agency market, Jurickson Profar was added to the recruitment list, but even this is known to be difficult.
In the end, the Yankees decided to find a left fielder on the inside, and Hicks appears to have been picked. “Hicks is a good player, but injuries are bothering him,” Cashman said. He hopes to return this year as the Hicks we know.”
Hicks was an outfielder who also hit 27 home runs a season in the past. Here, his strong arm and quick feet are expected to be of great help to the Yankees, unless he is really injured. First off, the Yankees start the season with an outfield consisting of left fielder Hicks, center fielder Vader, and right fielder Judge.