The New York Yankees will play their first game of the 2026 MLB regular season on Wednesday when they visit the San Francisco Giants in California.
They will play their final spring training game on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.
Yankees Still Paying Former MLB Player $1 Million
Aaron Hicks last played for the Yankees during the 2023 season.
He had signed a massive contract extension with the franchise (in 2019).
The Yankees wrote on February 25, 2019: “The New York Yankees today announced that they have signed OF Aaron Hicks to a 7-year contract extending through the 2025 season, with a club option for the 2026 season. This contract replaces his 1-year contract for 2019 that was announced on Jan 11.”
Hicks was then released in 2023.
That said, the Yankees have still been paying the 36-year-old.
This year, they will complete their final payment of $1 million to Hicks to buy him out (h/t Spotrac).
@MLBMovesTracker wrote (on January 29, 2024): “SIGNED: #Angels have signed OF Aaron Hicks to a one-year, $740K contract. The #Yankees are still responsible for paying Hicks $8.76M in 2024, plus $9.5M in 2025 and $1M on a buyout for 2026.”
Hicks’ MLB Career
Hicks was the 14th pick in the 2008 MLB Draft.
He played 12 seasons for the Yankees, Angels, Orioles and Twins.
Jon Heyman of New York Post Sports wrote (in 2019): “Aaron Hicks #yankees 2019 – $6M/$2M Signing Bonus 2020 – $10.5M 2021 – $10.5M 2022 – $10.5M 2023 – $10.5M 2024 – $9.5M 2025 – $9.5M 2026 – $12.5M option/$1M”
Hicks batted .231 with 109 home runs, 392 RBI’s, 469 runs and 71 stolen bases over 981 career games.
In 2018, he hit 27 home runs for the Yankees.
The Yankees wrote (on June 7, 2017): “Aaron Hicks also has a career-long 9-game hit streak. He’s hitting .432 in the last 11 games and his .439 OBP is 2nd in MLB.”
Yankees Last Season
The Yankees are coming off a year where they went 94-68.
They lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.
New York Yankees Still Paying Former MLB Player $1 Million This Season