Angels sign Aaron Hicks (1 year, $740k) - DFA Ingram

[mmc]

 

[Inside Pitch]

Just now, jsnpritchett said:

Yeah, I don't hate it.  He just can't stay on the field.  Dude is ALWAYS hurt.  His chart on Savant from last year isn't pretty, but he's still got some small silver linings in there. 

You will likely get a kick out of this.  A die-hard Twins fan friend of mine famously said he was elated the Twins moved Hicks to make room for Byron Buxton ... because he was sick of Hicks always being hurt.

Dude created his own prison

 

 

[jsnpritchett]

3 minutes ago, mmc said:

 

Interesting that they officially announced this, but haven't announced the corresponding roster move.

[Blarg]

5 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Yeah, I don't hate it.  He just can't stay on the field.  Dude is ALWAYS hurt.  His chart on Savant from last year isn't pretty, but he's still got some small silver linings in there. 

Rendon needs someone to play cards with.

[Inside Pitch]

Just now, jsnpritchett said:

Interesting that they officially announced this, but haven't announced the corresponding roster move.

Sir!

[mmc]

Just now, jsnpritchett said:

Interesting that they officially announced this, but haven't announced the corresponding roster move.

Scroll up a few posts

[T.G.]

1 minute ago, jsnpritchett said:

Interesting that they officially announced this, but haven't announced the corresponding roster move.

 

2 minutes ago, mmc said:

 

 

[jsnpritchett]

Just now, T.G. said:

 

 

Yes, I know.  That was posted as I was typing my post.

[T.G.]

Just now, jsnpritchett said:

Yes, I know.  That was posted as I was typing my post.

You asking about the announcement of a corresponding move was very BTH like.

[T.G.]

13 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

if they were going to pay a 35 year old to be the 4th/5th OFer, I'm glad they are only going to pay the minimum.

Man, time flies.  I can't believe he's that old already.

[Hubs]

Bellinger did well against lefties last year too.. .337 BA with 10 HR.

Hicks is being paid by the Yankees, so the Angels can cut him and not even owe him a penny if he doesn't make it through ST. Similar to the Dodgers signing Pujols when we DFA'd him. If he didn't work out, they could cut him.

 

Edited January 29 by Hubs

[Hubs]

I also dont understand Ingram over Herget, but ok.

[Erstad Grit]

I'm not clear on how the contract worked.

So Yankees release Hicks, O's sign him for a pro-rated minimum.

Did O's have the option to keep Hicks at the minimum for next year?

[T.G.]

2 minutes ago, Erstad Grit said:

I'm not clear on how the contract worked.

So Yankees release Hicks, O's sign him for a pro-rated minimum.

Did O's have the option to keep Hicks at the minimum for next year?

I believe he was a FA

[Angels 1961]

That takes care of halo OF now. DH spot open so many options with Trout, Rendon and others. Now 1 starting pitcher and a MI spot. Angels could be done, barring any trade. 

[jsnpritchett]

26 minutes ago, Ochocinco! said:

He was a completely different player in Baltimore, let’s hope we get that guy 

I'd take it with a grain of salt.  He had a BABIP of .331 with the Orioles, which was 30 points higher than he's ever had in any other season.  His average exit velocity with Baltimore was only 84.5 MPH, which is...awful.  His hard hit % was way below his career average, too.  He did walk a far amount, but he's always been pretty good at that.

Again, really no downside to signing him and bringing him to spring training, but I wouldn't get too excited.

[Second Base]

I think Hicks is a case of the Angels covering their bases. They have no idea if Ward is going to come back and be the same guy. Ward probably doesn't even know that. And if he does, great, Hicks is a platoon RF. And if he doesn't, the Hicks is locked into a positional battle with Adell and even Adams, which isn't a bad thing given their inconsistencies. 

Basically, I see this deal as no different than a minor league deal with a ST invite and an April 15th opt out date. They'll both cost relatively the same, and they both have minimal risk involved with the team. 

[jsnpritchett]

12 minutes ago, Erstad Grit said:

I'm not clear on how the contract worked.

So Yankees release Hicks, O's sign him for a pro-rated minimum.

Did O's have the option to keep Hicks at the minimum for next year?

No, the Orioles signed him to a one-year deal when they signed him, so they lost control of him when the 2023 season ended.

[Angels 1961]

5 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

I'd take it with a grain of salt.  He had a BABIP of .331 with the Orioles, which was 30 points higher than he's ever had in any other season.  His average exit velocity with Baltimore was only 84.5 MPH, which is...awful.  His hard hit % was way below his career average, too.  He did walk a far amount, but he's always been pretty good at that.

Again, really no downside to signing him and bringing him to spring training, but I wouldn't get too excited.

Excitement will be coming when Perry signs that SP.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Low risk. 

[James]

Just now, The Ghost of Bob Starr said:

Low risk. 

[mmc]

 

[Angel Oracle]

15 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

Excitement will be coming when Perry signs that SP.

Don’t say it!

[Capital_Dave]

I've got no problem with this. 

I do have a quick question though: are these "league minimum deals" cumulative?  Hicks is still on a 7 year $70 million deal with the Yankees that runs through 2025 (woof).  Got released last year and the Orioles picked him up for the league minimum.  Now we do the same.  So if the Angels cut him after spring training, and another team picks him up for the league minimum, are both teams obligated to pay him the contracted amount, thereby reducing the Yankees liability to like $8.6 million ($10million minus league minimum minus league minimum)?  Or do the Angels then get absolved of that responsibility and the new signing team takes it up instead, reducing the Yankees liability to just $9.3 million ($10million minus league minimum)?

Just curious. 

[jsnpritchett]

Just now, mmc said:

 

Lodge is just the worst.