The New York Yankees pulled off an unexpected move this weekend. After instilling an excess amount of faith in the outfielder, the team finally came to its senses. They designated Aaron Hicks to assignment, thus ending his seven-year-long journey in the Bronx. Hicks now has seven days to clear up the paperwork, as his locker room has already been cleared up back at the Yankee clubhouse.
Cutting loose Aaron Hicks was the right call. He pretty much contributed nothing over the past several seasons. However, the axing of Hicks has sent down a strong message to the other nonperforming members of the lineup, especially third baseman Josh Donaldson. The third baseman has followed a similar trajectory as Hicks and could meet the same fate in the foreseeable future.
Yankees Likely To Axe Josh Donaldson Next
As the injured players are inching closer to a return, the New York Yankees are taking steps to make some space in the lineup. That means the team has to make some difficult decisions, such as letting a few players go. They started off by DFA’ing Aaron Hicks, and if rumors are to be believed, Josh Donaldson is next. Josh joined the Yankees via trade last season, and his form dipped dramatically. However, he received a chance at redemption this season, but he ended up blowing it completely. The baseman strained his hamstring a few weeks into the season and has been MIA ever since. On top of that, Aaron Boone confirmed that Josh’s return will likely get delayed as he sliced his thumb at home.
In his absence, DJ LeMahieu has filled in his place and has been doing a phenomenal job. Hence, if and when Josh Donaldson returns, replacing an in-form DJ would not make much sense. As a result, cutting him loose remains the only option with the Yankees. Also, the age factor could come into place as well. The baseman is 37 years old and enjoys a whopping salary of roughly around $27 million. The same was the case with Hicks as well, who secured the same amount of money with minimal performance. Hence, in an ideal world, Josh Donaldson should make his way out of the Yankee clubhouse, as his services might no longer be needed by the Bronx Bombers. The next couple of weeks are highly crucial for Josh Donaldson.
Yankee Fans Blame Brian Cashman For Josh Donaldson Trade
2022 was a bad year for the New York Yankees in terms of trade. Literally, every acquisition led to a disaster. Josh Donaldson’s acquisition was no different. The baseman with an AL-MVP title was supposed to bring a lot to the table. However, nothing happened as such as the baseman failed to produce any offensive power altogether. It encouraged the fans to drag the brain behind the trade acquisitions, GM Brian Cashman, into the debate.
A few fans on Reddit questioned Brian Cashman‘s competence as the general manager of the $7 billion club. They made an argument that since Brian has taken up the role of the GM, not one move has gone the team’s way, citing the example of Josh Donaldson. The agitated fans demanded an explanation and also urged the GM to take some accountability for his actions.
