Yankees decision to extend Aaron Hicks contract is a win-win for both sides

The Yankees and CF Aaron Hicks have agreed to a seven-year, $70M contract extension that will keep him in pinstripes through the year 2025. The deal also includes a club option for the 2026 season.

Just last week there were rumblings about the Yankees and Hicks discussing a possible extension so when I saw Monday’s news I wasn’t all that surprised. With Hicks set to become a free agent after the season, it made a ton of sense for the Yankees to try and lock him up long-term to prevent him from hitting the open market next winter.

What does surprise me a little is the deal itself, specifically the length of seven years. Had Hicks entered free agency after his upcoming age 29 season the odds of him getting a seven-year deal would have been very slim. Especially when you consider how deals of that length just aren’t offered to players who are 29 years old or older anymore.

The top two deals signed by center fielders over the past two seasons were Lorenzo Cain (32) with the Brewers in 2018 for 5 years, $80M and AJ Pollock (31) this offseason for 4 years, $55M. I think Hicks could have gotten a deal similar to the one Cain signed for if he put up another big season in 2019, but I can’t blame him for taking the deal with the Yanks.

Even though I’m surprised the Yankees gave him the seven years this is another team friendly deal for them just like the extension they signed their ace Luis Severino to earlier this spring. By going to seven years the Yankees gave Hicks the long term security most players desire instead of a high AAV. They also gave themselves financial flexibility in the coming years. It’s not like a $10M salary is cheap but for a player of Hicks caliber, he probably could have signed a free agent contract with a higher AAV but for two or three years less.

Now that Hicks is under contract for at least the next seven years it will be interesting to see how this affects the organization’s impressive top prospect OF Estevan Florial. Florial like Hicks is a true five-tool player and he projects to be in line for a big league call-up sometime in 2020 or 2021. Had Hicks left the Yanks this offseason in free agency Florial could’ve been the guy to take over next season as the primary center fielder.

Now he might be used as trade bait because the Yankees outfield is pretty much set for the future. With Aaron Judge in right, Hicks in center and Clint Frazier ready to take over in left field there’s not really a need for Florial. Of course, that could change and we still have to see how things play out with Frazier. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Yankees were more open now to trading Florial for an ace-caliber pitcher prior to this year’s trade deadline or next offseason.

More from Yanks Go Yard

• 4 blockbuster trade targets that could be Yankees next ‘big’ move
• MLB Network Radio host thinks Yankees should shell out for Dansby Swanson
• Guy who caught Aaron Judge record HR ball cost himself tons of money in auction
• Did Yankees fans bully Hal Steinbrenner into signing Aaron Judge, Carlos Rodón?
• Andrew Benintendi-White Sox deal proves Yankees were right to prioritize Carlos Rodón

As for Hicks, I think it’s safe to say now that the Yankees won the trade that brought him to New York back in 2016 for backup catcher John Ryan Murphy. That first season wasn’t a good one for Hicks but he stuck with it and since then he’s become the all-around great player Cashman always believed who could be.

It’s been a good couple months for Hicks and his family with him signing the extension just a month after he became a father to a baby boy. Hicks joked during his press conference Monday that he doesn’t have to worry about buying diapers anymore and said that the birth of his son had a big impact on his decision to sign the extension now.

Hicks also said it was a fair deal for both sides and that this is the organization he wants to be with because of the great teammates he has. Per ESPN:

“The guys in the clubhouse, I want to fight for them. I want to go to war for them.”