Yankees fans lay into Aaron Hicks after subpar OF complains to manager that he isn't playing enough: "The audacity of this dude"
After outscoring their opponents 16-7 in the first series of the season, Aaron Hicks' team, the New York Yankees, are demonstrating that they have no less firepower than they did in 2022.
Unfortunately, for outfielder Aaron Hicks, he has not had a chance to get in on the fun. Although the 33-year-old appeared in 130 contests for the Yankees last season, he is struggling to get any at all.
In the recent series with the San Francisco Giants, Hicks did not start a game. He appeared in five plate appearances, drawing a walk and a pair of strikeouts. Although Hicks started in left field during their April 2 game against the Phillies, he went 0-for-3.
The beginning of the end set in at the 2022 trade deadline when the Yankees acquired center fielder Harrison Bader from the St. Louis Cardinals. Bader took over Hicks' job in center field for the postseason. However, with Bader starting the 2023 season on the IL, Hicks thought he would return to center field.
But manager Aaron Boone has different plans. In addition to putting Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge in the outfield corners, Boone has alternated between young Venezuelan Oswaldo Cabrera and diposed shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa in center.
In a press conference in the midst of the Yankees' mid-week series against the Philadelphia Phillies, manager Aaron Boone made it clear that Hicks has voiced his concern about not getting the playing time that he feels he deserves.
Boone says Hicks has expressed some frustration over his role with the Yankees https://t.co/jGYA4ogblG
"Boone says Hicks has expressed some frustration over his role with the Yankees." - Talkin' Yanks
Unsurprisingly, fans are having a hard time feeling sympathy for Aaron Hicks, who they believe is well past his prime and undeserving of a starting spot on the Yankees.
@TalkinYanks Fans are pretty frustrated over his role as well
@TalkinYanks Release him 💀💀
Hicks has been with the Yankees since 2016, after coming to the team from the Minnesota Twins. His best season for the Bronx Bombers came in 2018, when he hit .248/.366/.467 with 27 home runs and 79 RBIs.
@TalkinYanks Aaron hicks when hes benched for going 0 for 456779 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
@TalkinYanks I also expressed some frustration that Hicks has not played up to his 7 year $77 million contract
But since then, Hicks' offensive viability has been in freefall. He returned in 2022 after a 2021 campaign that was severely impacted by injuries. Hicks hit only .216 with a career-worst eight home runs in a full season.
@TalkinYanks the audacity of this dude to complain about not playing
@TalkinYanks Bro he earned the bench role he’s lucky he hasn’t been cut yet
Aaron Hicks still has two years left on the seven-year, $77 million contract with the New York Yankees that he inked ahead of the 2019 season. Despite this, some fans would be happy for the team to swallow his contract just to get him off the team.
@TalkinYanks Trade Him to a Team like the A's where he could get a much greater role for the team.
@TalkinYanks Hicks legitimately doesn’t play well
He’s been giving more chances than anyone over the years
Next man up
Aaron Hicks is about to find out the price of complaining in New York
Yankees fans are not known to be the most forgiving toward their players. Although Hicks is still an asset, he has obviously been displaced on this team. One cannot help but think that the only logical solution for Hicks to is to request a trade, or get out of town.