5 Yankees who survived trade deadline but won’t be on 2023 roster

3. Aaron Hicks

How? Why? What more does the team need to see? It’s one thing if you don’t have the resources to get rid of Aaron Hicks. Some teams get screwed with such a financial commitment. That’s sadly “life” for other franchises across MLB.

Not the Yankees, though! They can toss $30 million in the trash and live with the decision as long as the beers and chicken buckets are flowing. But the problem with this Yankees front office is stubbornness and pride. They can never admit they’re wrong, and if they are they’ll pull a stunt as extreme as exiling Jacoby Ellsbury and filing a grievance with paying his salary.

This is now the fourth straight year of Bad Aaron Hicks. To be specific, he’s either been bad or injured since the moment he signed his seven-year extension. Three years remain, but the Yankees have to stop playing this game when 2023 comes along. Assuming they bring back Aaron Judge, they cannot continue surrounding him with underperformers or those with “undiscovered” potential.

Hicks has played in just 259 games since the start of 2019. He’s underwent two surgeries. He’s hit just 28 homers and 29 doubles. He’s been good for a -0.8 dWAR over that span. He can no longer play an adequate center field, which is why Judge has played there so much in 2022.

Eat the remaining money, move on, and admit you were wrong. There are plenty of other solutions.

2. Miguel Andújar

Miguel Andújar has requested a trade twice now. There’s been no room on the active roster for Miguel Andújar the past three seasons. Miguel Andújar doesn’t want to be here. Miguel Andújar is only called upon when the roster is decimated. Miguel Andújar also doesn’t produce when he’s called upon. So why is he here?

Fans were surprised when the Yankees tendered him a contract this past offseason, but there’s no way they do it again for 2023. There just isn’t. They’ll be spending $2 million on a busted commodity when they have better prospects in the pipeline who’ve already had more success at the major league level. Many thought the Yankees would’ve dumped him at the deadline to create a roster spot, but it never happened even though it would’ve benefitted everybody.

The Yankees haven’t been fair to Miggy … but he also hasn’t done himself any favors has he’s already been outperformed by Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera in just a handful of games. Once the playoffs roll around, this will likely be the last Yankees fans see of Andújar in pinstripes.