New York Yankees cut Aaron Hicks, owe $27.6M

CINCINNATI (AP) — The New York Yankees cut Aaron Hicks before Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds and owe the struggling outfielder about $27.6 million from more than 2 1/2 seasons remaining in a $70 million, seven-year contract.

Hicks was designated for assignment to make room for outfielder Greg Allen, acquired in a trade with Boston on Friday.

The 33-year-old Hicks was batting .188 with a homer and five RBIs in 28 games this season. He agreed to a $70 million, seven-year contract with New York in February 2019 but injured his right elbow that Aug. 3, missed the rest of the regular season and for five postseason games, homering in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against Houston’s Justin Verlander.

Hicks had Tommy John surgery with Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal El-Attrache that Oct. 30.

He returned the following July for the pandemic-shortened season but was never the same player. Hicks hit .212 with 19 homers and 80 RBIs in 244 games after the surgery, down from .236 with 82 homers and 276 RBIs in 654 games before the injury. His 2021 season was cut short May 12 because of a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist that required season-ending surgery on May 26.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone described his talk with Hicks as “quiet” and “somber.”

“This is family,” Boone said. “You go through everything with these guys. Obviously, with Aaron, some ups and downs. He’s had some really good seasons. It wasn’t an easy conversation to have, but one we felt was necessary.”