Yankees News: Aaron Hicks DFA’d by NY; Owed over $20M Through 2025 Season

The New York Yankees informed veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks that he has been designated for assignment, he told reporters on Saturday.

Hicks, who was signed to a seven-year, $70 million extension in 2019, still is owed over $20 million through the 2025 season, per Spotrac.

In a corresponding move, the Yankees announced that outfielder Greg Allen has been signed to a major-league contract and added to the active roster.

Hicks spoke to reporters after the roster move, saying his time with the Yankees was “the best time of my career.”

Hicks had been in the midst of a disastrous start to the 2023 season, as he slashed just .188/.263/.261 with one home run and five RBI in 76 plate appearances. The 33-year-old had fallen out of the lineup, as infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa received starts in the outfield over him.

“It is what it is,” Hicks said, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “It’s part of the business side of it. Just got to move on to the next chapter.”

The Yankees acquired Hicks from the Minnesota Twins after the 2015 season. While he’s shown flashes of high-level production, he struggled with consistency while battling injuries. He appeared in 59 games in 2019 due to an elbow injury, and a wrist injury in 2021 limited him to 32 games that season.

Teams will have the chance to claim Hicks on waivers, but his struggles this season indicate that he’s likely to go unclaimed. The Yankees could release him once he clears waivers, and he’s hopeful that he would benefit from a change in scenery.

“This is a very good baseball team,” Hicks said. “It kind of seemed like it wasn’t working out for me. Obviously with the decision they decided to make, maybe somewhere else might be a little bit better.”