Let’s get this out of the way: Aaron Hicks is a good baseball player and an important part of the Yankees. Due to a combination of factors his absence last season was largely overlooked, but make no mistake - he was missed. Due respect to Brett Gardner, who did well enough in a role that he’s no longer designed for, the Yankees would have been better off with Hicks playing 140 games in the outfield instead of Gardner. (Probably about two wins better depending on a few variables and which version of WAR you prefer.)
Of course, I wrote “let’s get this out of the way” because there’s been much frustration among Yankees’ fans with Hicks, and I’m expecting some pushback.