Centerfield Upgrade Options For Failing Aaron Hicks

I’m confident that EVERY fan knows this and I hate to point out the obvious but I will….Aaron Hicks contract was a huge mistake. So obviously, thinking Hicks will magically be better this year and live up to expectations is just beyond stupid. So that’s why the Yankees need to get an upgrade when this lockout finally ends. The Yankees said they would look for options and they are out there.

But the question is, who? I found an interesting read on NJ.com HERE and I agreed with most of it. I even liked the scouts explanations on the Yankees choices. The article mentions four targets, but honestly only two make sense here. 

1. Bryan Reynolds

Some people may be asking “WHO?!” and that’s not completely surprising. Bottom line is he’s young (turns 27 this month) and he’s under team control until 2026 and he’s been overlooked. He’s only been playing in the majors for 3 years and while 2020 was not a great season for him I don’t think 60 days was a fair assessment. I do look at 2019 and 2021 and like what I see though. I will gladly take a .302 BA, 24 home runs, and 90 RBI on our roster right now. He’s not a natural center fielder but he’s playable out there. And let’s face it Hicks is playable….nowhere. Reynolds is still young and moldable and he can play defense! He’s not a liability. He made 2 errors in 137 games in center field, so he’s not so new that he’s a mysterious gamble. We already have the gamble with Hicks and we should be 95% confident what that outcome will be. He has experience in left field too so if the Yankees need help there he can easily fill in.

The downside: He will cost a ton. If the Yankees have ANY hope in getting the Pirates to trade him it will cost four good prospects and that is guaranteed to include either Oswald Peraza OR Anthony Volpe.

2. Ketel Marte

It’s easy to find a lot of reasons to like Marte. He’s the “hit for average” player that we all wish the Yankees could find and stockpile. He’s been a consistent hitter his last three seasons and he has power also. Countless teams are salivating to get this guy in their lineup….but there are two challenges here.

1) The Diamondbacks are gonna have to be blown away to deal him. The Diamondbacks insist they are not considering a full rebuild. He’s easily their most valuable piece. The Diamondbacks are highly unlikely to be a contending team anytime soon in the NL West but, he’s still a very affordable player and if the Diamondbacks don’t want to commit to rebuilding, they probably don’t want to disenfranchise the fan base they have by getting rid of their most popular player. 

2) Scouts have a lot to rave about but he may be a better fit elsewhere. He’s got the pop, versatility in the outfield and second base, can run and steal bases but….he’s a better defender at second base. Find a Diamondbacks fan and ask them about Marte’s effectiveness in centerfield. You will be hard pressed to find one that says he’s a great option. The consensus is he’s better at second base. We don’t need second base, we already have a clog there with both Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu. Is he an upgrade over Hicks? Sure, but any uninjured body is. If the Yankees are serious about upgrading centerfield I wouldn’t put Marte on the top of my list especially at what the Diamondbacks will want for him.

I think everyone is in the “Anyone is better than Hicks” camp and it will be interesting to see if the Yankees can upgrade from Hicks whenever this lockout finally ends. Hicks doesn’t even deserve to be a benchwarmer, so hopefully the Yankees will finally make the right move considering they really did a “swing and miss” with Hicks.