Yankees Aaron Hicks says he’s ready to return; who’s odd man out?

The candidates:

Austin Romine (C)

• He’s not really a candidate. The Yankees need a backup catcher on the roster, and Romine serves that role. It doesn’t hurt that Romine had the best offensive year of his career, batting .281 with eight home runs, 35 RBI and a .748 OPS in 72 games.

Luke Voit (1B)

• The trade for Luke Voit in 2018 was (what seems like an annual) Brian Cashman stroke of genius. In what amounts to a full season in pinstripes (157 games), Voit has hit .280 with 35 home runs, 95 RBI and a .901 OPS. Due to a sports hernia, the burly first baseman missed most of August.
• After returning to the Yankees on August 30, Voit struggled in September before finishing the year with a particularly brutal 1-for-32 slump. In the days leading up to the ALDS, it was rumored that Voit would be left off the roster, though he did make it. However, Voit didn’t see any action in the series.

Cameron Maybin (OF)

• Another unheralded acquisition by the Yankees that worked out perfectly, Maybin made the ALDS roster as a reserve outfielder. Maybin entered each game in the series as a late-inning base-running and defensive replacement for Giancarlo Stanton. He even went 1-for-3 with a crucial solo home run in Game 3 that provided the Yankees with a key insurance run en route to a 5-1 win. As usual, Maybin played stellar defense versus the Twins.

Tyler Wade (UTIL)

• An offensive nonentity early in his Yankees career, Wade made some nice offensive strides in 2019, batting .245 in 43 games. Though he didn’t see any action in the ALDS, Wade made the roster due to his speed on the bases, fielding skills and ability to play multiple positions.
• In 2019, Wade made starts at the following positions:
  • Second base (18)
  • Shortstop (4)
  • Third base (5)
  • Left field (14)
  • Center field (2)
  • Right field (2)