They're paying him $7.5M plus the $2M buyout from the previous deal, but $7.5M is the number for comparison.For reference, in a year where Brett Gardner will be turning 36, the Yankees are paying him $12.5 million.
This is my first reaction. It's not a bad contract, it's just a strange contract.My first reaction was that a lot of years. Just in the sense of how contracts seem to be getting shorter except for mega-stars. Are there any comps for contracts of similar lengths at similarly low AAV?
Really good deal, especially the end of it when the salaries go down. If he had a good year this year, there would have been a decent chance he could have beat this on the market, but it must be worth it to him to not gamble.There’s also a club option for an eighth season, Marc Carig of The Athletic tweets. The Post’s Joel Sherman reports that Hicks will receive a $2MM signing bonus and a $6MM salary for the upcoming season (Twitter link). He’ll then be paid $10.5MM annually from 2020-23 and $9.5MM annually from 2024-25. His option for the 2026 season is valued at $12.5MM and comes with a $1MM buyout.
I think the low AAV makes Hicks a trade chip (or at least tradeable) if Florial blossoms or some other CF shows up, but it's really hard to find a solid CF these days. It's worth noting there is no no-trade clause here, and also that it's actually a six-year extension as the deal starts immediately (replacing his $6M final year arb salary for 2019).I think I'm more surprised by the lack of flexibility that this might give the Yankees.
Hicks is 29 and is now signed through age 35.
Stanton is 29 and signed through age 37.
Judge is 27 at the end of April, but tied up between pre-arbitration and arbitration to age 32, but outside of him falling off a cliff does anyone expect the Yankees not to retain him much longer?
I'd be ecstatic if JBJ signed a similar contract.I'm actually sitting here wondering how I'd feel about JBJ signing an identical contract.
They have nothing to do with each other, Hicks plays CF and Harper is a (terrible) corner OF. For NY, he would be a DH since both Judge and Stanton are decidedly better defenders, why would you want to give the biggest contract in history out for that? Someone did season simulations a couple months ago with Harper on different teams, for NY he had 53 HRs and was AL MVP, and NY won 93 games and I think lost in the ALCS. That is a perfect explanation of why NY never went after Harper, he doesn't really improve them almost at all.I still can’t believe NY is letting Harper just sit there. Seven years for Aaron Hicks?
Hicks is also 300 million cheaper.I still can’t believe NY is letting Harper just sit there. Seven years for Aaron Hicks?
Agree with all of this. To me the weird part of this contract -- which I think is very solid for the Yankees -- why did they give Gardner above market money? And more money than Hicks?They have nothing to do with each other, Hicks plays CF and Harper is a (terrible) corner OF. For NY, he would be a DH since both Judge and Stanton are decidedly better defenders, why would you want to give the biggest contract in history out for that? Someone did season simulations a couple months ago with Harper on different teams, for NY he had 53 HRs and was AL MVP, and NY won 93 games and I think lost in the ALCS. That is a perfect explanation of why NY never went after Harper, he doesn't really improve them almost at all.
You mean his previous FA deal? Those were different times, but if you mean this year, Gardner is getting $7.5M.Agree with all of this. To me the weird part of this contract -- which I think is very solid for the Yankees -- why did they give Gardner above market money? And more money than Hicks?
Yep, I don't think it's a coincidence that he had his first kid a month ago.Hicks gets security when salaries and contracts are hard to come by
He was the third best CF in MLB last year according to WAR, behind only Trout and Cain. He was the 23rd most valuable player in all of MLB, again according to WAR.I get the arguments as to why this deal makes sense for the Yankees.
But my reaction as a Sox fan is good. Hicks is a good and not great player and he’s certainly not one of the Yankees whose at bats make me overly nervous. That’s he’s likely part of the equation for years is positive in my view.
And I think that’s why he’s happy to secure a long term deal. Ultimately, it’s really a good deal for sides. As a piece of the puzzle, I think this helps Cashman have flexibility for Judge and a potentially big contract.Good outfielder with an excellent arm--one of the very best outfield arms in all of MLB-- and a switch hitter. But Hicks seems to pile up those nagging injuries. In 2017 it was his oblique, in 2018 his hamstring. If he can stay healthy it's a great deal, but that's a question mark.
Yeah, that's fair and totally logical. And yet I'm still totally unfazed by this. I've been wrong before but Hicks as NY's CF for the next bunch of years is fine by me.He was the third best CF in MLB last year according to WAR, behind only Trout and Cain. He was the 23rd most valuable player in all of MLB, again according to WAR.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/sort/WARBR
Also FWIW, he hit 5 HRs against BOS last year and had a .889 OPS. 13 RBIs in 16 games.
Yeah, I was going to add that I still kind of get your perspective here, also you can factor in that this likely closes off any chance of Trout to the Yankees down the road, not that anyone has been rumoring that at any point anyway.Yeah, that's fair and totally logical. And yet I'm still totally unfazed by this. I've been wrong before but Hicks as NY's CF for the next bunch of years is fine by me.
Does it? He could be a nice trade chip. If they need to open up centerfield.Yeah, I was going to add that I still kind of get your perspective here, also you can factor in that this likely closes off any chance of Trout to the Yankees down the road, not that anyone has been rumoring that at any point anyway.
To be fair, when a team signs a guy to a long contract you expect him to be there awhile.Yeah, I was thinking that too as I wrote it, but Philly seems the most likely destination for him anyway, South Jersey boy.
NMCWJEAFO (Nobody Much Cares When Jacoby Ellsbury Achieves Final Obscurity)Financially it looks like a very reasonable deal from the Ys perspective.
And thus ends the Jacoby Ellsbury era of patrolling the hallowed ground of Dimaggio and Mantle.
I love this deal from Hicks’ perspective. Right now he and his children are set to be wealthy for the rest of their lives and never need to worry about anything. Buy an island rich? No. Be able to puff your chest out around other CF’ers, or your friends in the NBA? No, probably not. And he quite possibly didn’t squeeeze every possible dime out of what figures to be the next 10 years. But practically, he’s locking in a great life for himself and his family. Hakuna Matata
Yeah, they got him before 2016 (his 26 year old season) because MIN wanted to make room for Byron Buxton, and he was so bad that year that I was shocked Cashman didn't dump him over the winter.This is the guy who was hitting about .190 after his first three months with the NYY, right?
Can't believe he turned it around so significantly that he could get a deal like this.
I get that once it's clear they're not signing him its best to move on positively, but the mystical belief that he'd land in his true baseball home for all classy and great players was alive and well in this sub-forum well as recently as last summer. Maybe Adam Ottavino stole all his true Yankee mojo...Harper is a (terrible) corner OF...he doesn't really improve them almost at all.
Really? I think the Yankees fans contingent here has been fairly lukewarm on Harper for a quite a while.I get that once it's clear they're not signing him its best to move on positively, but the mystical belief that he'd land in his true baseball home for all classy and great players was alive and well in this sub-forum well as recently as last summer. Maybe Adam Ottavino stole all his true Yankee mojo...