Aaron Hicks is trying to catch up.
Hicks, who played just 32 games in 2021, has played nine games of winter ball in Dominican Republic to try and prove he’s healthy and can be the Bombers’ everyday center fielder again in 2022.
Since signing a seven-year, $70 million deal in the spring of 2019, Hicks has played in just 145 games over three seasons, which opened the door to questions about his future in the Bronx. This year it was wrist surgery that shut Hicks down in May, but he also had to come back from Tommy John surgery and dealt with back injuries over the last few years.
While Hicks has flashed some power in winter ball, he has so far hit just .206/.289/.382 with one home run in nine games. That’s certainly not enough to assure the Yankees they can go into 2022 without at least a backup plan at center field.
In 2021 the Yankees used 37-year-old Brett Gardner — who was supposed to be the Bombers’ fourth outfielder — as Hicks’ replacement. They also hesitantly used Aaron Judge there, concerned about the wear and tear on his body. Heading into 2022, they need to make sure they have this spot locked down.
That’s why it was not surprising the Yankees — and the Red Sox and Blue Jays — were reported to be one of the “most aggressive” pursuers of Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki, according to the Boston Sports Journal’s Sean McAdam.
Over the last six seasons with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hiroshima Carp, Suzuki hit .318 with at least 25 home runs, 26 doubles and 75 RBI in each season. He slugged 38 home runs with 88 RBI and nine steals this year, and last week he earned his fifth Mitsui Golden Glove.
Because of the MLB lockout, Suzuki’s 30-day window to work out a deal with a big league club, which began when he was posted on Nov. 22, was halted. It will continue when the new collective bargaining agreement is in place.
The Yankees will get another shot at Suzuki when baseball gets back to business, but they have already missed out on another good option.
They watched as the Mets picked up the best center field option on the open market right before MLB shut down business with the lockout.
The Mets signed Starling Marte to a five-year, $78 million deal right before the lockout. That is a high price, especially considering the Yankees are already paying Hicks $10 million a year.
They still could have, and should have, been in the mix.
While he’s 33 years old, Marte did just have one of his career-best years. He stole 47 bases in 120 games last year. He hit .310 with an .841 OPS and 132 OPS+ and has a long track record.
The Mets also scooped up another potential center fielder when they signed Mark Canha in their lockout-eve buying binge.
On the free agent market there are no more true center fielders left, but there are versatile outfielder/infielders like Kris Bryant, who is a better third baseman.
There are also potential platoon players still available, including: Delino DeShields, 39, Jarrod Dyson, 37, Leury Garcia, 31, Billy Hamilton, 31, Ender Inciarte, 31 and Danny Santana, 31.
Gardner is also available after the Yankees declined the option on his contract after the season.
If Hicks, a career .233/.330/.399 with a .729 OPS hitter, can stay healthy and prove he can be productive, he still could be the Yankees’ Opening Day center fielder and the team could bring back Gardner, or another veteran back up, as insurance.