4 Yankees players the fans have already lost patience with

Aaron Hicks

It happened. It actually happened. Hicks was designated for assignment on Sunday to make room for Greg Allen, of all people, a decision that was far past due.

After all, he'd been nearly banned from home games and, even after a recent XBH "binge" (two XBH, 10 hits on the season), his OPS+ still sits at a meaty 47. It's Aaron Hicks, the weakest $10 million ever spent!

We're not like the other blogs. I'm willing to acknowledge that, in 2019, when his long-term deal was signed, it wasn't the worst idea in the world. It seemed like a silly amount of years to commit to Hicks, but the outfielder was genuinely good in 2017 and 2018. It was a risky bet, considering the length of his injury history and limited amount of good data, but it was fairier then than it looks in retrospect.

That said ... if the Yankees were willing to commit so much money and so many years to him back then, they had to be equally willing to cut bait if things went off the rails. They did, and they haven't been.

Hicks' Tommy John surgery in 2019 and wrist sheath injury in 2021 clearly damaged his ability to hit for power. The 2021 injury, in particular, seems like a killer these days. That said, those procedures don't excuse his apparent lack of effort from time to time. His wrist injury two years ago didn't lead directly to him demanding clarity on his role in the New York press just a few games into the 2023 season.

Now that we're under $30 million left on Hicks' deal, it's past time to cut bait and accept the failure. Yes, even though this team still doesn't have a left fielder. That's how glaring Hicks' malfeasance has been. The possibility of him as a savior isn't even worth entertaining.