TAMPA — Let’s tease out the worst-case scenario here:
Say that 2018 proves to be Aaron Hicks’ peak. That he can’t stay sufficiently healthy and doesn’t develop any further, his late bloom turning out to be more of an exciting aberration.
It leaves the Yankees $70 million poorer, but — most importantly — only $10 million per season, through 2025, on their luxury-tax bill.
And if Hicks does keep trending positively? It’ll leave the Yankees punctuating one of their best trades with one of their best contracts.
What’s not to like about this seven-year commitment to a guy who has realized his star-level potential under the Yankees’ supervision?