A potentially busy offseason for the New York Yankees got off to an intriguing start, as they acquired Aaron Hicks from the Minnesota Twins for catcher John Ryan Murphy.
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported the deal on Twitter. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports added the deal is sensible for both teams because they are trading from positions of depth.
As Joel Sherman of the New York Post noted, the Yankees are developing a pattern of trading backup catchers after dealing Francisco Cervelli to the Pittsburgh Pirates last offseason.
Sherman also added that this could be good news for New York’s talented but erratic catching prospect, Gary Sanchez:
Baseball America’s JJ Cooper likes the move for both teams, with the Yankees getting an outfielder with a high ceiling and the Twins getting a player at a position that’s always difficult to fill because of all the intricacies that go into catching.
This could also be a prelude to another, bigger deal for the Yankees, as Sherman speculated:
On Wednesday, Sherman wrote that the Seattle Mariners have discussed a trade for Brett Gardner. He did say nothing was “far along,” so it’s unlikely there would be a quick resolution if the Yankees are even interested in trading their 32-year-old outfielder.
With the Yankees having Brian McCann locked in as their starting catcher, getting a young, talented outfielder like Hicks for a backup catcher isn’t a bad move.
Hicks did have the best season of his career in 2015, hitting .256/.323/.398 in 97 games. He had an .870 OPS against left-handed pitching, giving him value in a platoon situation.
The Twins didn’t have a spot for him, with Byron Buxton ready to handle center field and young, talented outfielders like Eddie Rosario and Oswaldo Arcia warranting significant playing time in 2016.
This is a good trade for both teams, as both found ways to address areas of need without having to sacrifice significant parts of their future to do so. It may not be a marquee move, but it accomplishes a lot and opens up possibilities for both teams as the hot stove season warms up.
Stats via Baseball-Reference.com
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