Aaron Hicks is staying within the AL East.
The Orioles announced on Tuesday that they’ve signed the outfielder to a significant league contract, 4 days after he was officially released by the Yankees.
Hicks, 33, was designated for task on May 20, because the Yankees were unable to search out a trade partner for the outfielder, who’s owed nearly $30 million through 2025.
He’s on the hunt for a more distinguished role and Hicks may earn one with Baltimore, where All-Star center fielder Cedric Mullins is out with a right abductor/groin strain suffered in the course of the eighth inning against the Guardians on Monday, which resulted in a 5-0 Orioles loss.
Mullins, who has an .835 OPS with eight home runs and 39 RBIs in 53 games, has been placed on the 10-day injured list.
After a couple of lackluster seasons in The Bronx, which included a .188 average and .524 OPS in 28 games this season, the Yankees threw within the towel on Hicks after seven-plus years.
Hicks arrived in Recent York in a trade with the Twins in 2016 and proved to be a reliable hitter and center fielder early on.
Because of this, he was given a seven-year deal before the 2019 offseason, but over the past 4 seasons Hicks has slashed .212/.331/.334.
“I hope what doesn’t wander off is a few really good seasons that he had here,” manager Aaron Boone said on Friday when Hicks was released. “Had some good postseason moments here. After which some injuries really impacted his time here, probably impacted his profession and his ability to get back to that level.”
During his time in pinstripes, he posted a .232/.337/.398 slash line coupled with 81 home runs, and 278 RBIs.
The Orioles entered Tuesday with the third-best record in baseball at 34-20, 4 games back of the AL East-leading and MLB-best Rays.
