Aaron Hicks played in 137 games in 2018, a Ripken-esque number for him. The Yankees signed him for seven years at $70 million the following February. He has played 145 games in the three seasons since.
Luis Severino started 63 games between 2017-18, the same as Jacob deGrom, one more than Corey Kluber, two fewer than Gerrit Cole. He received Cy Young consideration both seasons and was an All-Star each year. The Yankees signed him to a four-year, $40 million pact a few days before rewarding Hicks. He has started five times since, twice in the 2019 playoffs, none in either of the last two seasons. He is, at minimum, a month away.
The Yanks had gone under the luxury-tax threshold in 2018, resetting the penalty percentage. Thus, they were willing in multiyear extensions to pay Hicks and Severino a little more for 2019, believing they would be rewarded long term. Those contracts have been disasters, as much now as ever as the injury absences exacerbate Yankee issues.
It was not standard for the Yanks to extend Hicks and Severino. The Yanks had generally waited until players reached free agency to enlist them long term. Over the previous quarter century, they had only acted early seven times and four were for the Core Four — Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. After acquiring Tino Martinez from the Mariners, the Yanks wanted to show a financial and emotional commitment to the first base successor to Don Mattingly. Robinson Cano and Brett Gardner were the other two.
All seven had various levels of success and none was an outright financial sinkhole, like Hicks and Severino have been so far. The Yanks are back trying to stay under a luxury-tax threshold, making the $20 million Hicks and Severino cost detrimental to roster construction. The Yanks project to roughly $207 million for this season and the threshold is $210 million.
The Yanks will probably have to add a center fielder this year and, especially if Severino cannot return to usefulness, perhaps a starter. So unless Hal Steinbrenner authorizes exceeding the threshold — and he should do that if trying to win a title is truly the goal — then the Yanks will likely have a limited pool from which to choose and/or will have to invest more in prospect capital to get another team to eat dollars.
Boone acknowledged before Thursday’s doubleheader against the Blue Jays what was pretty obvious, that Hicks will miss the rest of the year after tearing the tendon sheath in his left wrist. The Yanks had traded Mike Tauchman before Hicks was hurt and lost their two minor league depth pieces in Greg Allen and Ryan LaMarre to injury. They called up Estevan Florial to survive the doubleheader, but the teality=90minoEhisnkhe si read<. Thet Heages Glrdner at m37 byfar.the tmajorss ldert tenter fielder ,as the iopion. TInlostng t2-0to sToonteoin the 2oubleheader aopeer ahe Yanks wan aed bwo mhit, none ibyflrdner awhosi rownlto s.19, a d the thalis denter fielder are bt m.190
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