Does Aaron Hicks Come Full Circle?

[Ted Schwerzler]

When the Minnesota Twins kick off their 2024 regular season, they will do so with a good deal of optimism regarding star center fielder Byron Buxton. Again returning from an offseason surgery, the hope is that the aching knee of the Georgia native will allow him to play the field. If that doesn’t happen, they’ll need a backup plan. Could Aaron Hicks be in the cards?

Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

With the center field position being a possible area of need for Rocco Baldelli’s club, it is up to the front office and their evaluation of internal options to decide if something else is needed. So far, they have passed on Kevin Kiermaier and Harrison Bader. They probably aren’t going to factor into the Cody Bellinger sweepstakes, and while Michael A. Taylor could be brought back, there has not been much steam on that front.

Certainly, the Twins could trade for someone like Dylan Carlson, or they could decide that Nick Gordon, Willi Castro, and eventually Austin Martin are all workable partners. If they want to reunite with a familiar name, though, Aaron Hicks may have some allure.

Now 34 years old, Hicks was the Twins' first-round pick in 2008, out of high school. He worked his way up through the system, and he provided more usable results than promising outfield prospect Joe Benson before him. Still, Hicks struggled with switch-hitting for Minnesota, and as a younger kid looking to mature, he found himself drawing the ire of both Paul Molitor and Ron Gardenhire.

After John Ryan Murphy took closer Glen Perkins deep, Minnesota’s front office decided they must have the Yankees catcher, and thus ended Hicks’s time with the Twins. He went on to have some strong seasons in New York, and ultimately, he tallied a 110 OPS+ from 2017-2022. His 120 OPS+ for the Yankees from 2017-2020 helped him earn a $70-million deal in 2019, but injuries and fading performance had him being pushed out.

Resurfacing with the Baltimore Orioles last season. Hicks played in 65 games and posted an .806 OPS, good for a 127 OPS+. He once again displayed a strong ability to get on base, and the .275 batting average was a new high-water mark for his career. Playing all three outfield positions for Brandon Hyde’s club, Hicks proved to be a valuable member of a great team with young talent such as Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson.

Despite having been released by the Yankees and paid to not play for them, it’s plausible that Hicks earned himself a new major-league deal through his production in Baltimore. Expecting him to be a consistent regular at this point of his career is probably unlikely, but as a rotational type to spell Buxton, Minnesota could do much worse.

Last season, Hicks destroyed left-handed pitchers to the tune of a .970 OPS. He scuffled mightily against righties, but the Twins' current center fielder has seen success against same-handed pitchers. Despite Hicks being a switch-hitter, it could make sense for him to play only when soutpaws are on the bump.

New York paid Hicks nearly $30 million simply to go away, and that could make his level of affordability for 2024 even more straightforward. There is likely to be enough interest to secure a 40-man roster spot for Hicks, but any team who signs him will only have to pay him a prorated share of the league-minimum salary while he's on the roster. The Yankees will keep paying the remainder of his salary from that deal, which runs through 2025.

This isn’t the same regime that drafted Hicks, and it’s not the same group that he had to mature with either. He’d provide some veteran perspective, and if the Twins could get the production he brought to Baltimore, that would be a great outcome for all parties involved.

What do you think of bringing Hicks back as a depth piece for the roster? Sound off in the comments.

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[DJL44]

We've discussed this a few times before. I think that he's the best bench bat they can find for the league minimum.

[rv78]

Promote Martin from AAA and quit wasting money and roster spots on washed up veterans. 

[weneedneshek]

If it's cheap and we aren't promising him a roster spot I'm fine with it. He and Martin can duke it out in spring training and the best man wins

[August J Gloop]

If he's up for a NRI to spring training, sure.

[jmlease1]

I just don't think Hicks can hold up in CF if we needed him there; defensively he's just not particularly good any longer, and while he might still cover more ground than Matt Wallner in the corners, he doesn't have Wallner's arm. So he doesn't really provide the kind of Buxton insurance I would want in signing an OF. the ability to punish lefties is nice, but last year's work was only 74 PAs and he doesn't exactly have a consistent track record of mashing lefties. And he certainly doesn't start over Wallner or Kepler.

If Kepler gets moved as part of a deal for pitching, I might be interested in him for depth, but I think I'd rather roll with Castro and Gordon as the OF depth with Martin in the wings than throw millions at Hicks (who you have to think is going to get $5M or more, even if he's not going to get $10M). Bit risky to hope that an aging OF with a real injury history and 5 seasons of struggles has been fixed just by getting out of NY, based on a decent half-season in Balto.

[chpettit19]

12 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

I just don't think Hicks can hold up in CF if we needed him there; defensively he's just not particularly good any longer, and while he might still cover more ground than Matt Wallner in the corners, he doesn't have Wallner's arm. So he doesn't really provide the kind of Buxton insurance I would want in signing an OF. the ability to punish lefties is nice, but last year's work was only 74 PAs and he doesn't exactly have a consistent track record of mashing lefties. And he certainly doesn't start over Wallner or Kepler.

If Kepler gets moved as part of a deal for pitching, I might be interested in him for depth, but I think I'd rather roll with Castro and Gordon as the OF depth with Martin in the wings than throw millions at Hicks (who you have to think is going to get $5M or more, even if he's not going to get $10M). Bit risky to hope that an aging OF with a real injury history and 5 seasons of struggles has been fixed just by getting out of NY, based on a decent half-season in Balto.

Nobody has Wallner's arm (he was 100th percentile in arm strength last year), but Hicks has a cannon still (95th percentile).

[sweetmusicviola16]

If he would sign for the league minimum why not sign him? He is getting a shot with a good team which should appeal to him. Yankees pay most of his salary which should appeal to us. If he's washed up he's sent packing end of March.

[MN_ExPat]

49 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

I just don't think Hicks can hold up in CF if we needed him there; defensively he's just not particularly good any longer, and while he might still cover more ground than Matt Wallner in the corners, he doesn't have Wallner's arm. So he doesn't really provide the kind of Buxton insurance I would want in signing an OF. the ability to punish lefties is nice, but last year's work was only 74 PAs and he doesn't exactly have a consistent track record of mashing lefties. And he certainly doesn't start over Wallner or Kepler.

If Kepler gets moved as part of a deal for pitching, I might be interested in him for depth, but I think I'd rather roll with Castro and Gordon as the OF depth with Martin in the wings than throw millions at Hicks (who you have to think is going to get $5M or more, even if he's not going to get $10M). Bit risky to hope that an aging OF with a real injury history and 5 seasons of struggles has been fixed just by getting out of NY, based on a decent half-season in Balto.

Not necessarily disagreeing, but the Twins wouldn't have to pay him more than the league minimum (Yankees are on the hook for the remainder of his salary through 2025).

The team could always bring him in on an almost no cost flyer and cut bait if he doesn't look like he fit.  Doesn't hurt to look. 

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, rv78 said:

Promote Martin from AAA and quit wasting money and roster spots on washed up veterans. 

Do you really want Austin Martin to spend most of his time on the major league bench? I'd rather he played everyday in St. Paul.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, weneedneshek said:

If it's cheap and we aren't promising him a roster spot I'm fine with it.

They have roster spots available. They can cut him later if he doesn't perform and it costs them nothing at all. The roster spot is not an issue.

[Karbo]

54 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

I just don't think Hicks can hold up in CF if we needed him there; defensively he's just not particularly good any longer, and while he might still cover more ground than Matt Wallner in the corners, he doesn't have Wallner's arm. So he doesn't really provide the kind of Buxton insurance I would want in signing an OF. the ability to punish lefties is nice, but last year's work was only 74 PAs and he doesn't exactly have a consistent track record of mashing lefties. And he certainly doesn't start over Wallner or Kepler.

If Kepler gets moved as part of a deal for pitching, I might be interested in him for depth, but I think I'd rather roll with Castro and Gordon as the OF depth with Martin in the wings than throw millions at Hicks (who you have to think is going to get $5M or more, even if he's not going to get $10M). Bit risky to hope that an aging OF with a real injury history and 5 seasons of struggles has been fixed just by getting out of NY, based on a decent half-season in Balto.

They only have to pay him league minimum thanks to the Yankees.

[DJL44]

58 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

than throw millions at Hicks (who you have to think is going to get $5M or more, even if he's not going to get $10M)

Hicks is getting paid $10M a season by the Yankees for 2024 and 2025. If the Twins signed him it would cost them just the league minimum. They can't add a cheaper player than Aaron Hicks. Hicks costs $300,000 less than Nick Gordon.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

What's his situation? Did Hicks automatically become a free agent at the end of the season? Or did Baltimore release him?

 

Are there other likely suitors? 

[Thebigalguy]

It's an interesting idea. He comes cheap thanks to the hated Yanks. If he's willing to come without guarantees, then it's worth a chance. 

[DJL44]

5 minutes ago, sampleSizeOfOne said:

Did Hicks automatically become a free agent at the end of the season? 

Yes

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Do you really want Austin Martin to spend most of his time on the major league bench? I'd rather he played everyday in St. Paul.

Why? They get zero value from him there. Zero. 

I don't get fans obsession with reunions. It happens every year. There is little to no upside here, move on. 

[DJL44]

11 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Why? They get zero value from him there. Zero. 

Austin Martin gets to develop and improve in AAA playing every day. Sitting on the MLB bench and playing once a week is not a good situation for his development. Plus, burning a rookie's cheap service time when they're likely to be replacement value is not a good economic decision. You can always find a bench player for cheap, let the rookie develop in AAA, and then play the rookie when they're ready to contribute in the big leagues as an everyday player.

I don't think this is about Austin Martin anyway because I'm pretty certain he's going to end up in St. Paul regardless. This is about Hicks versus Nick Gordon or Trevor Larnach and which one complements the starters Kepler, Buxton and Wallner best.

[jorgenswest]

2 hours ago, rv78 said:

Promote Martin from AAA and quit wasting money and roster spots on washed up veterans. 

I am all for putting Martin a bench role if he has maxed out his AAA growth. I am hoping there is more to develop at AAA as a hitter. His 106 wRC+ at AAA was underwhelming and just a tick below Celestino’s performance. I would really like to see a long stretch of greater than 130 and bring him up mid year.

[TwinsDr2021]

35 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Why? They get zero value from him there. Zero. 

I don't get fans obsession with reunions. It happens every year. There is little to no upside here, move on. 

I am not a fan of Hicks, but if the choice is Hicks on the Twins bench most of the time or Martin, I am going with Hicks. If Hicks is terrible (or just not good) he can be kicked to the curb and Martin can be brought up, if Martin is terrible (or just not good) then you are looking at adding another older mid 20's prospect to the 40 man and bringing him up to play the bench. That is not a plan on repeating as division champion.

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Austin Martin gets to develop and improve in AAA playing every day. Sitting on the MLB bench and playing once a week is not a good situation for his development. Plus, burning a rookie's cheap service time when they're likely to be replacement value is not a good economic decision. You can always find a bench player for cheap, let the rookie develop in AAA, and then play the rookie when they're ready to contribute in the big leagues as an everyday player.

I don't think this is about Austin Martin anyway because I'm pretty certain he's going to end up in St. Paul regardless. This is about Hicks versus Nick Gordon or Trevor Larnach and which one complements the starters Kepler, Buxton and Wallner best.

No one that backs up Buxton, Julien, and Wallner is going to just sit on the bench. Not even a little.

As for "when they are ready," that's not how it works. A veteran would have to get hurt to get a rookie up here, we saw that last year with Wallner and Julien....

[KirbyDome89]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

No one that backs up Buxton, Julien, and Wallner is going to just sit on the bench. Not even a little.

As for "when they are ready," that's not how it works. A veteran would have to get hurt to get a rookie up here, we saw that last year with Wallner and Julien....

All the more reason to be cautious given Martin's uneven 2023 and pedestrian 2022 seasons no? 

I agree that this FO gives far too long of a leash to "bounce back," or retread types they sign, but lets be real here, Julien vs. Martin is apples and oranges.  

[Mike Sixel]

22 minutes ago, KirbyDome89 said:

All the more reason to be cautious given Martin's uneven 2023 and pedestrian 2022 seasons no? 

I agree that this FO gives far too long of a leash to "bounce back," or retread types they sign, but lets be real here, Julien vs. Martin is apples and oranges.  

And yet, he sat in AAA until there was an injury. That was my point....that "he'll play when ready" just isn't a thing in MN right now. At some point, you either believe in a prospect or not. I'm ready on Martin. I understand others would rather have a mediocre veteran (because they aren't signing an expensive one) and hope the team gets lucky and that veteran is actually good than take a chance on Martin. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind.

[KirbyDome89]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

And yet, he sat in AAA until there was an injury. That was my point....that "he'll play when ready" just isn't a thing in MN right now. At some point, you either believe in a prospect or not. I'm ready on Martin. I understand others would rather have a mediocre veteran (because they aren't signing an expensive one) and hope the team gets lucky and that veteran is actually good than take a chance on Martin. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind.

Yeah I just don't think he is ready, so that mantra doesn't apply in this situation. I'm not going to pretend to be remotely locked into minor league action, but looking through his 2023 season Martin had some really weird RH/LH splits and 2/3 of his short season was disappointing if we're being honest. I don't want a mediocre vet anymore than you do, but I'm not in a hurry to force a guy who hasn't consistently hit minor league pitching either of the past two seasons onto the active roster either. 

[Joe A. Preusser]

One one hand, I don't think we need him, and I'm not sold he would be super effective anyway.  

On the other hand, just imagine he still has it, plays an awesome center field and rakes.  Then he goes 6-12 with 3HR in the ALCS against the Yankees...while they pay his salary for us.

There's a thought to warm the heart ❤️  

 

 

[jorgenswest]

Injuries will occur and they need real depth. Martin, Lee, Camargo, Miranda and Larnach can provide that depth across the diamond in AAA. It is a strength that will give them an edge and gave them an edge last year.

My concern about Hicks is that if they pay him 5-6 million it might be enough for them to keep him even if his decline is evident. Farmer is similar risk of declining play but retained on roster.

I would prefer Gordon as depth with Martin in AAA because I don’t think the Twins will hold onto Gordon if he doesn’t approach 2022. They can DFA him and give Martin a shot without worry of his contract.

Worst case is a veteran free agent or Farmer stay healthy and on the roster all season in spite of declining lackluster play while Lee and Martin show the readiness that Wallner and Julien showed in St. Paul.

Edit: Hicks isn’t a contract worry (thanks DJL44). 

[DocBauer]

Just want to add to the discussion I've come around to adding Duvall as a veteran 4th OF, IF the numbers would work out when all is said and done.

To me the question comes down to the FO, and everyone else involved in regard to how "ready" they think Martin is, and to a lesser extent, the non 40 man Michael Helman. Martin impressed with solid numbers at AAA, and finished strong. I object to the FO belief that Martin is a "natural" OF, but still somewhat limiting his OF time last year, 26 games in the OF and 39 in the INF. I understand keeping him in play for INF possibilities, but the half season in 2023 makes me want him to replicate what he did with the bat a little longer, continue to get comfortable at such a high level, and get a little more time in CF. 

The Twins like the late blooming Helman, but rightly didn't see the need to protect him. But he was an invite last year, and is so again this year. He's a RH version of Castro with more power. He raked at AAA last season despite having his year interrupted by injury. (Concussion and bruised shoulder). I maintain he would probably have played for the Twins in 2023 if not for the injuries, and I doubt Luplow would have ever been brought on board. It strikes me as strange that there are often so many inclusions of Keirsey in various OP and comments and nobody seems to remember Helman. He's not any kind of top prospect, but he has the "all around" kind of profile both offensively and defensively to be the kind of surprise addition Castro was last season. Now, he might tank. But he might be Castro part 2. And, potentially, he's a CF/super utility option that might allow Martin more time to get his total game "together" before being brought up. 

Again, how does the FO feel about the readiness of Martin or the addition of Helman?

I'm guessing any financial boom from a new TV deal is too small, or too late to see Duvall as a solid addition, barring a surprise. So that leaves Hicks as an interesting option. He would only cost the league minimum, and a roster spot. (Unless his value continues to slide and he has to settle for a milb deal).

And to be honest, I'm just not sure how much Hicks has left in the tank defensively. He was always solid and had a good arm. And I don't dismiss veteran ability to play CF, which he did for 37 games with the Orioles. But his bat certainly didn't play in NY the last few seasons. Even with 65 games in Baltimore, he was far better against LHP than RHP. But multiple seasons vs 65 games gives me pause he's any kind of answer. IF the Twins feel he's still solid defensively for another year, and IF they believe he can continue to hit well against LHP, he might be a cheap corner OF bat to sit Wallner or Kepler here and there, and platoon with Castro in CF when Buxton needs a rest or is out for a stint.

I don't have a problem with him on a league minimum deal. As pointed out by other posters, he could be kicked to the curb if he just flatlines. I'd just like to think there might be better options on hand.

[Fezig]

I have no idea how fast the exit velocity is with Hicks. Does he have productive k's. Does he know how to swing for the fences with two strikes and down by five runs. Those are the things we need to know when deciding on if a guy is worthy of wearing the ugliest hat in the MLB.

[old nurse]

I thought Castro was the do it all backup. The year before it was Gordon (Cave, Rob R, Celestino, ……)  for 2024 the teams needs a new flavor. I am afraid that anybody new and cheap will have the flavor of bitter lemon 

[DJL44]

11 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

My concern about Hicks is that if they pay him 5-6 million it might be enough for them to keep him even if his decline is evident.

That shouldn't be a concern. The only reason the Twins would pay him $6M is if they want to give the Yankees salary relief. Instead the Twins would pay Hicks the league minimum salary and the Yankees would pay $10M.