The Yankees designated struggling Outfielder Aaron Hicks for assignment.
Got to wonder where Hicks ends up. He's hitting just .188, but assuming he clears waivers, somewhere like Oakland or Kansas City seems plausible, with the Angels also seeming at least theoretically possible as well.
He's likely done as a player.
Hicks had one good year 2018 that he lived off. He was a young player with old player skills, meaning that he was a young guy who did not have the young player skills of hitting for average, but he was patient at the plate (an old player skill) so his OBP was OK, and he developed some power., but he doesn't put the bat on the ball. His one Young Player Skill is that he can still play CENTER Field, but his dWAR is not impressive, and it's reasonable to believe that he'll soon move to one of the corners.
He has the Old Player Skill of drawing lots of walks. The problem with that skill is that it is somewhat dependent about putting the bat on the ball. He's got some speed and some power, but if Hicks cannot put the bat on the ball for a hit anymore, the pitcher will be able to just throw strikes and there goes the value of "plate discipline".
The kind of skills Hicks has are not the type of skills a good young player has. They're the kind of skills older players rely on to compensate for a loss of speed and quickness. If you're at that point at the beginning of your career, where are you going to be in your 30s when you've slowed due to time? That's where Hicks is now.
EDIT: He's back up to .231 (his career norm) after a trade to Baltimore. He played in CF for Baltimore. I'm still not convinced, but if he's got the regular job there he might respond.
