Seal deal: Yankees land a new mega star.

admin | January 18, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

New York Yankees Sign Versatile Position Player To Bolster Depth

The New York Yankees have signed this versatile position player to bolster their depth.

The New York Yankees have made a move to bolster their infield depth.

According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Yankees have signed versatile infielder/outfielder Josh VanMeter to a minor league deal.

VanMeter spent the entire 2023 season in the minor leagues.

He has not appeared in the major leagues since 2022 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he slashed .187/.266/.292 with a .558 OPS, three home runs and 14 RBIs in 67 games.

In four career big-league seasons, VanMeter has hit .206 with a .640 OPS in 743 at-bats.

VanMeter, 28, brings versatility to the Yankees’ depth, as he has the ability to play second base and the corner outfield spots.

While this isn’t the flashiest of moves, it helps the Yankees strengthen their depth at the upper levels of the minor leagues.

Early in the 2023 season, Aaron Hicks’ career appeared to be on life support.

Hicks was batting just .188/.263/.261 when the New York Yankees mercifully released him on May 26. He was 33 and in the midst of his third straight poor offensive season after posting a .639 OPS (82 OPS+) in 2021 and 2022 combined. Retirement appeared imminent for the veteran outfielder.

Four days later, Hicks joined the Baltimore Orioles, finding a new home in the AL East.

It turned out to be a perfect fit. Hicks slashed .275/.381/.425 with 7 homers and 6 steals the rest of the way, emerging as a valuable contributor on a 101-win team. He helped Baltimore win the AL East, while his old team finished fourth.

How did Hicks go from sub-replacement level to All-Star-caliber? On Tuesday, he joined MLB Network to explain a key adjustment that triggered his turnaround.

The free-agent outfielder credited part of his revival to a change of scenery. After spending nearly a decade in the Bronx and enduring heavy booing over the past few years, he clearly needed a fresh start.

Baltimore, which was in the midst of a magical season, turned out to be a great landing spot for him.

“Baltimore was amazing,” Hicks said. “I had a great opportunity there with those guys. To be with that team that was winning, it was the right team for me at the right time.”

Hicks mentioned feeding off the energy of being on a young team, implying that New York wasn’t as fun to play for.

Hicks also revealed a mechanical tweak that seemed to help. He backed off the plate a bit and focused more on hitting the ball to center field rather than trying to pull everything, which may have been a bad habit influenced by Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right.

We’re glad Hicks figured things out — we just wish it could have happened with us instead.