On Saturday, the New York Yankees dropped a bombshell when they announced the axing of outfielder Aaron Hicks from the final roster. The team has designated Hicks for an assignment which means he has seven days to find a new contract or else bid adieu to Major League Baseball.
To be honest, this was inevitable. Seeing the outfielder’s stats, he should have been long gone. Nevertheless, better late than never. The Bombers finally cut loose its biggest under-performers. However, the layoff is unlikely to end any time soon. Here are the three potential candidates who are most likely to lose their jobs and join Aaron Hicks on the DFA’d list.
Josh Donaldson
No prizes for guessing the most obvious candidate. Infielder Josh Donaldson has added absolutely no value to the Yankees roster even since his signing last season. The fans wanted him gone this off-season, but Josh received a lifeline that he failed to utilize. This season he has hit .125 with a single home run and .489 OPS. Shortly after, he landed on IL due to a hamstring pull and has been MIA ever since. On top of that, his high salary has become a burden on the team. Donaldson is not justifying his payroll, which is hurting a cash-strapped Bronx Bombers. Also, DJ LeMahieu has finally found his mojo back this season and is likely to perform better at third base than Josh. Hence, Josh Donaldson is most likely to lose his access to the Yankee clubhouse real soon.
Jake Bauers
Outfielder Jake Bauers wreaked havoc in the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, which earned him a promotion into the major leagues. However, he has not transitioned well. So far, Jake has produced .184 in 45 plate appearances. His offense is as worse as Aaron Hicks’. However, Bauers’ field plays set him apart. He has played in left field this season and took two phenomenal catches. However, despite all this, he still remains a temporary fit on the roster. Giancarlo Stanton will return soon, which will require the Yankees to fire another outfielder. Also, the team signed Greg Allen from the Red Sox last week, which could further endanger Bauers’ spot on the roster. Hence, Jake should prepare himself in advance as his fate hangs in the balance for the foreseeable future.
Willie Calhoun
Willie Calhoun promised a lot of action when he made his season debut on the initial road trip of the season. However, the initial fireworks doused quickly. As of this writing, Calhoun is scoring .219 with 3 home runs in 81 plate appearances. Moreover, the Yankees are now only using him as a DH. Willie is no longer the hitter who hit 21 homers in 2019 as a young 24-year-old. On top of that, Giancarlo Stanton’s return would require Calhoun to hand back the DH duties to the former. Hence, the Bomber could most likely DFA Willie Calhoun once Stanton or Donaldson returns from IL. However, Willie could get a lifeline and move back to the minor league if the team still has some faith left in him.