Hicks for Murphy trade: 14 months later

[jimmer]

 

Hah, yes. BABIP doesn't really matter in a SSS with a guy who has a 33% HR/FB rate.

I wasn't suggesting he would be even better down the road, I'm just saying he hasn't gotten lucky in regards to BABiP..  He's obviously playing over his head, just not in the same way Santana did a couple years ago.  His BB% and K% is looking good too, though.

 

Can't really make any kind of evaluation based on what we've seen in regards to the majority of players.

 

With obvious exceptions, like Trout:-)

[The Wise One]

 

I was entertained by this thread, now? Not so much. Why can't we have almost funny things?

Nothing much funnier than threads where the complaint is about the mediocrity of pitching (with a side argument on definitions)  and another thread where the complaint is of giving up a starting pitcher with a ceiling of mediocrity where the topic was a small sample size hot start by a former Twins position player..

[KirbyDome89]

^^^^

 

[USAFChief]

I don't know how to spell "Oozing" so it might have been someone else using that term. 

 

I believe there is a decent chance that Hicks never makes it as a major league player. 

 

But.. in terms of potential... Hicks had plenty of it. I don't like trading potential for a player with similar talent as those found on waivers.

 

1. Wait till you get to be my age. You'll long for the good old days of mere oozing.

 

2. Precisely. This trade was a very good example of why the Twins needed a new front office. Regardless how Hicks turns out, and regardless how Murphy turns out.

[SheboyganBrats]

I didn't like the trade at the time.  As others have said, I couldn't figure out why the Twins kept getting rid of their center fielders.  And, I wasn't as down on the Twins catching as some may have been.  However, I can understand why the trade was made.  

 

Catching seemed to be a black hole in the organization, according to many, and Murphy had shown enough to take a chance.  And Hicks, while he had tools and talent, seemed to be a huge head case who didn't seem to show up mentally for his at bats half the time.  I'm guessing that there was frustration over his seeming inability to take the game seriously.  Now, maybe this was the organization's fault, or maybe it's a misreading of what was going on, but from afar it seemed like Hicks was out to lunch a good deal of the time.

[DaveW]

Hicks with a 2-4 day yesterday

.324 BA, 1.161 OPS

 

Most impressive is those two hits came off Chris Sale.

 

Hicks is for real.

 

JR Murphy MLB line 2017: .000/.000/.000/.000 and is 0-0 against Chris Sale.

[DaveW]

1. Hicks RF
2. Polanco SS
3. Sano 3B
4. Dozier 2B
5. Kepler 1B
6. Rosario LF
7. Grossman/Mauer/Park/Vargas DH
8. Castro C
9. Buxton CF

That would be an amazing offense and defensive team currently.

[howieramone2]

 

1. Hicks RF
2. Polanco SS
3. Sano 3B
4. Dozier 2B
5. Kepler 1B
6. Rosario LF
7. Grossman/Mauer/Park/Vargas DH
8. Castro C
9. Buxton CF

That would be an amazing offense and defensive team currently.

Dave, anyway you could keep us posted on Pinto, Arcia, Meyer, and Joe Benson? Also, weren't you the member who said Zack Jones would be the next David Ortiz? Let's keep our fingers crossed. This could be the year Berrios pitches game 163.

[DaveW]

 

Dave, anyway you could keep us posted on Pinto, Arcia, Meyer, and Joe Benson? Also, weren't you the member who said Zack Jones would be the next David Ortiz? Let's keep our fingers crossed. This could be the year Berrios pitches game 163.

I said Hicks would be the next David Ortiz.

Few other things, unlike the others that you mentioned: Hicks actually had success with the Minnesota big league club! His 2015 was perfectly solid (not amazing, but we all saw the flashes)

Pinto- Never had a real problem with that, Pinto's problem is he was never a "real" Catcher IMO, which basically made him a Matt Lecroy (ceiling) type player, so he wasn't going to ever hit enough to be a legit DH IMO.

Meyer- I'll tell you what, I would rather see Meyer getting starts over Gibson at this stage. In 5 starts for LAA last year he showed decent results: 4.57 ERA (Which would basically make him a #3 on this team) and a nice strikeout rate. The Angels are still seeing if he can make it as a starter, which I give them credit for, you can't teach that sort of K rate. His BB/9 is going down a little bit as well, so perhaps they are figuring something out with him. Ultimately if that fails he becomes a guy who can become a decent bullpen arm as well. End of the day, on a team like the Twins with pathetic pitching depth throughout the org, giving him away for no reason made no sense. Should have just sent an extra million or two along with Nolasco in that trade. DUMB

 

Arcia and Benson were both out of options (Hicks was not). I'd still have rather kept Arcia on the roster at the time over Danny Santana.

I'm still more annoyed they didn't sign Liriano when Pittsburgh got him for next to nothing.

At the end of the day though: Losing studs like Ortiz and Hicks for no reason are what help keep a team from winning titles.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

 

[DaveW]

Hicks had the game winning run last night. OPS 1.141

[ashbury]

Hicks had the game winning run last night. OPS 1.141

This Day In Baseball HIstory

April 28, 1957: Bob "Hurricane" Hazle is still playing for AAA Wichita and has not yet registered his first of 155 PA for Milwaukee, en route to a 1.126 OPS contribution to the pennant-winning Braves.

[Linus]

No worries about the trade. Hicks couldn't beat out Robbie Grossman anyway.

[DaveW]

Not a good day for Hicks:1-5, but one of those were a sacrifice bunt (weird it still counted as an at bat)

 

1.042 OPS

[snepp]

 

Not a good day for Hicks:1-5, but one of those were a sacrifice bunt (weird it still counted as an at bat)

1.042 OPS

 

He had 6 total plate appearances.

[DaveW]

He had 6 total plate appearances.

Ah got it. Thought that was odd.

 

Sano now takes the lead in the MVP race. Hicks trailing in 2nd now.

[DaveW]

Hicks had himself a solid game again tonight:

Hit another BOMB (5th of season)
2-5, 2 RBI, 1R

OPS back over 1.100

Better clear room on that Credit Card Glunn! I like my stakes Wagyu and my old fashioned's top shelf'd!

[Mike Sixel]

2:33
Pb&Js: What more does Aaron Hicks have to do to get a full-time gig?

 

2:33
Dan Szymborski: He had a .644 OPS coming into this season.

[howieramone2]

 

Ah got it. Thought that was odd.

Sano now takes the lead in the MVP race. Hicks trailing in 2nd now.

Hicks is 3rd behind Robbie Grossman.

[DaveW]

 

2:33
Pb&Js: What more does Aaron Hicks have to do to get a full-time gig?

 

2:33
Dan Szymborski: He had a .644 OPS coming into this season.

Ellsbury and Gardner are both playing decent so far, but Hicks is going to start eating into their playing time more and more. (Judge is a freaking stud)

What is most encouraging about Hicks is that he is MASHING RHP and LHP alike. I think Hicks ultimately is going to be starting 80% of the games for the Yankees in CF by June 15th.

Man, that Yankee team as a whole looks great, Cashman takes a lot of heat, but that guy knew how to rebuild and knew how to rebuild quickly.

[LimestoneBaggy]

 

What is most encouraging about Hicks is that he is MASHING RHP and LHP alike. I think Hicks ultimately is going to be starting 80% of the games for the Yankees in CF by June 15th.
 

 

How long until someone interviews him and asks him how the Twins screwed him up?

[DaveW]

 

Awww..this is cute!  Is this a yearly tradition now?

 

Cuz I remember this from last year too and Hicks ended with a .617 OPS and 65 OPS+.

 

Over/under on him topping 70 this year?  I take the under.

Still want to take the under Lev?

[DaveW]

 

Aaron Hicks and Danny Santana are roughly similar offensive players. 

Well to be fair, they are within 800 pts of each other in OPS this year    

[bighat]

Ugh.  John Ryan Murphy.  What a putz. 

 

In a way, I kinda hope that Hicks goes into a deep slump and has a terrible year.  Is that wrong?  

[glunn]

 

Hicks had himself a solid game again tonight:

Hit another BOMB (5th of season)
2-5, 2 RBI, 1R

OPS back over 1.100

Better clear room on that Credit Card Glunn! I like my stakes Wagyu and my old fashioned's top shelf'd!

I had dinner there last night and asked if the chef knows how to prepare roasted crow.

[DaveW]

 

- You're completely making it up that Hicks can hit 20 HR. The most he ever hit in a season was 14 -- and that was in AA.

- It doesn't matter if he can steal if he can't get on base.

- His defense was the best the Twins had available for a couple of years. Note this is a different statement from him being an outstanding defender. His numbers actually look close to Rosario's numbers, and there are a lot of people who complain about Rosario's defense.

- Hicks's switch hitting is a joke. He can't hit *righties*. How he has been able to survive in the league even this long with this flaw is amazing.

- He is nearing 28. It's time to stop talking about his potential and start talking about who he is. The decline for most players starts at 28, you know.

- Hicks has 5 HR so far, on pace to hit 20 by August.
-.419 OBP, but not a whole lot of SB chances as often times he is hitting XBH or home runs! lol
-Defense is great. CF and LF.
-Hicks has a 1.257 OPS against righties, and 4 HR (aka not a fluke!)
-If this is his decline, sign me up for several more years of decline!

[DaveW]

What's crazy is that Hicks is actually getting very UNLUCKY at the plate so far! Only a .263 BABIP

If that normalizes his OPS goes from 1.059 to 1.105. Wow!

Again I will post this again, how sexy would this top of the lineup look right about now:

1. Aaron Hicks LF
2. Max Kepler 1B

3. Miguel Sano 3B
4. Brian Dozier 2B
5. Grossman/Mauer DH
6. Rosario/Mauer RF/1B
7. Polanco SS

8. Castro C
9. Buxton CF

(Note: Kepler in lineup nearly every day, Mauer/Rosario split some time---Rosario to bench, Kepler to RF in that scenario)

That's an Pennant contending team.
 

[TheLeviathan]

 

Still want to take the under Lev?

 

Yes.  You did this last year and looked like an absolute clown.  So, if you want to pay up for that one too.....

[DaveW]

 

Yes.  You did this last year and looked like an absolute clown.  So, if you want to pay up for that one too.....

We never had a bet. The question is do you want to take it for this year?

[DaveW]

Update: Hicks tonight: 0-2, BUT with 3 walks! (Fun fact: 3 walks is over 15% of what Danny Santana has gotten in the last 3 seasons combined!!) as well as a run and a couple of real nice defensive plays in CF for another Yankee win. OPS still over 1.060

[TheLeviathan]

 

We never had a bet. The question is do you want to take it for this year?

 

No, internet bets are dumb.  But don't worry, when he turns back into an out machine that gets inexplicably walked from time to time, I'll do daily updates in your honor.