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3 Yankees trades to make at the MLB Winter Meetings

By Tim Boyle

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 01: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees hits an RBI double during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on October 01, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 01: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees hits an RBI double during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on October 01, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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New York Yankees MLB Winter Meetings trades
The MLB Winter Meetings would be a good time for the New York Yankees to trade Aaron Hicks anywhere that will take him. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

2) Yankees should trade Aaron Hicks and cash wherever they can

Aaron Hicks isn’t going away anytime soon, unless Yankees fans get their wish. His days as a trusted center fielder in the Bronx are long over. The extension the Yankees signed him to several years ago isn’t working out well. They owe him over $30 million through the next three seasons plus a $1 million buyout for the 2026 campaign.

It’s not an albatross holding them back. The biggest reason to trade Hicks anywhere is to clear up the roster space.

Prior to the 2022 season, Hicks hadn’t seen more than 255 trips to the plate in a Yankees uniform since 2018. That was a year where he hit 27 home runs while slashing .248/.366/.467. It was just his age 28 campaign. No one expected him to become the next Mickey Mantle. Maybe he could at least be something close to Curtis Granderson but with less power.

Times have been tough for Hicks. He has played only 275 games in the last four seasons. His slash line comes to a putrid .220/.334/.367. The inability to play serviceable defense in center field adds to it.

One possible trade destination to explore at the Winter Meetings is sending him to the Texas Rangers. The team is willing to spend. They had one of the worst left field outfield groups in 2023. The Yankees would need to eat up a large portion of the salary still owed to him. All they could expect to get back in return is a low-level prospect. For the sake of clearing the roster spot and maybe saving a little bit of money, it’s a deal worth making.

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