The New York Yankees have agreed today to a seven-year $70 million contract extension with switch-hitting center fielder Aaron Hicks.
The deal will keep Hicks, a player with great power, defense and plate discipline, in a Yankees uniform. It includes a $12.5 million club option for 2026, a $1 million buyout and a $2 million signing bonus.
The 29-year-old, considered by Yankee manager Aaron Boone one of the most underrated outfielders in baseball, is coming off a season in which he set career highs in games, homers, extra-base hits, and RBIs.
Hicks spent his first three seasons in the big leagues with the Minnesota Twins (2013-15) before being traded to the Yankees in the 2015 offseason. In New York, he’s had his best years so far and he’s appreciated for his athleticism, strong arm, walk rate, and ability to hit left-handed pitchers.
As the team prepares to keep Aaron Judge in place for a long term, the Yankees have now secured the third-best player in the game per WAR over the past two seasons for an average of $10 million per season.
With Hicks extension, the Yankees have set themselves for a very solid outfield future in the long term as they also have Giancarlo Stanton set for several more years. Their only concern in that regard being Aaron Judge’s salary arbitration at the end of this season.
This is one of the latest moves by the Yankees to keep their core of players intact after giving Luis Severino a $40 million, four-year deal on February 15.
Shortstop Didi Gregorius and reliever Dellin Betances remain eligible for free agency after this season. In addition, catcher Gary Sanchez becomes eligible for salary arbitration next winter.
