After a six-game road trip, the Yankees returned home Monday night to begin a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. That meant it was time to welcome back old friend Aaron Hicks, who of course caught fire at the plate once New York cut him loose.
We’ve been wondering if the Yankees were planning on putting together a tribute video for Hicks. While the last few years were anything but smooth, he still spent parts of eight seasons with the organization. As it turns out, New York decided to do so, and the fans at Yankee Stadium weren’t happy about it one bit.
Yankees played an Aaron Hicks tribute video and the fans booed pic.twitter.com/YMOBCD5QNr
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 3, 2023
I mean, did you expect anything else? Hicks did have some nice moments in pinstripes, but the tough/frustrating ones far outweighed those. It didn’t help that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman seemed to keep Hicks on the roster much longer than he should’ve been.
The outfielder hasn’t gotten as much regular playing time recently with Cedric Mullins returning from the injured list. But still, it’s clear that a change of scenery has been nothing but good for him. Entering Monday’s game in the Bronx, Hicks has accumulated 95 plate appearances with his new club. During that time, he’s produced a .263/.379/.475 line with eight extra-base hits (three doubles, one triple, four homers), 12 RBI, and 16 runs scored.
For a Yankees club that has had to reach incredibly far down on their outfield depth chart during the first half, that kind of production would’ve been welcomed. It just wasn’t happening, though. Before getting designated for assignment, Hicks slashed .188/.263/.261 in 76 plate appearances.
It was a relationship that had run its course and was never going to work out. Watching Hicks find his swing with his new team isn’t surprising. But then again, leave it to New York fans to remind a player why they’re no longer there, right?
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
