NEW YORK — Outfielder Aaron Hicks agreed to a $2,825,000, one-year contract with the New York Yankees, who settled with reliever Tommy Kahnle at $1,312,500 in the first deals among the team's eight players eligible for salary arbitration.
New York's luxury tax payroll rose to $124,837,500 for nine players with agreements and Thursday's moves left the Yankees' projected tax payroll at about $178 million — well under the $197 million tax threshold. The total includes $26 million estimated for the six players still eligible for arbitration, $10 million for the rest of the 40-man roster, $14,044,600 for benefits and a $3 million charge for cash transactions: a $5.