Yankees designate OF Aaron Hicks for assignment: Was the move unprecedented?

The Yankees designated Aaron Hicks for assignment, the team announced on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:

Hicks, 33, joined the Yankees in 2016 after a trade from the Twins.
The outfielder still had three years and nearly $30 million left on his contract in New York.
Before Hicks was benched for the Yankees’ game against the Giants on April 2, Hicks told The Athletic, “I have no idea what my role is. It’s kind of uncertain.”

Prior to today’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
•Signed OF Greg Allen (#30) to a Major League contract and selected him to the active roster.
•Designated OF Aaron Hicks for assignment.

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) May 20, 2023

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Was this a surprise?

When Hicks wasn’t named the Yankees’ starting left fielder to begin the season, it seemed like this was always going to be the natural conclusion. Hicks has dealt with various injuries over the past few years, and it has zapped nearly all of his offensive production. Last season, he openly wondered if a fresh start elsewhere would be best for him, but the Yankees stood by him throughout the offseason and said they believed in his potential to turn his career around. But through his first 28 games this season, it was apparent that the Yankees could not trust him at the plate. He currently has a 49 wRC+, meaning he’s 51 percent worse than the average MLB hitter. The Yankees have World Series aspirations, and Hicks likely would not have been part of the team’s postseason plans. — Kirschner

Is this unprecedented from the Yankees?

The Yankees usually don’t designate players for assignment who are owed significant amounts of money. They’ve done it previously with DFA’ing Jacoby Ellsbury in 2019 while they owed him just over $26 million on his seven-year contract. Ellsbury battled numerous injuries and couldn’t stay healthy. The Yankees also released Alex Rodriguez in 2016 when he was owed $27 million on his contract. Still, releasing Hicks when he’s been healthy and available all season long is a bit of a surprise, even if the lack of production warrants such a decision. — Kirschner

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(Photo: Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)