The New York Yankees made a crucial roster move ahead of the regular season, which is proving to be a dark horse.
New York Yankees dealt with prolonging left field woes all off-season long. Despite putting their best foot forward, the front office failed from all ends. Hence, Aaron Hicks, the under-fire outfielder, was summoned to the rescue. With too little faith, the Yanks knew they were playing a gamble but had no choice. Further, their worst fears came true as Hicks, being Hicks, struggled massively in the field.
Hence, the Bombers once again dug deeper into the free agent market to find one outfielder worth fitting their stellar lineup. After a weeks-long chase, they signed an outfielder from Baltimore Orioles in a split contract. He started the season in the minors, but consistent injuries got him a surprise call-up. Moreover, the outfielder pounced on his opportunity and is now challenging Aaron Hicks for the left-field role.
A Week Into Wearing The Pinstripes, Franchy Cordero Is Already Posing A Match Winner
Baltimore Orioles released outfielder Franchy Cordero ahead of the opening day. In the meantime, the New York Yankees, who supposedly had their eyes set on him, signed him immediately in a split contract. Franchy had a terrific run in the spring with a .413 average, two homers, nine runs, and nine RBIs in 18 appearances. Despite impressive numbers, the Orioles cut ties with him. This came as a blessing in disguise for an injury-plagued Yankees. Further, they wasted no time in calling Cordero up to the majors, and Cordero, on his part, lived up to the expectations.
In five outings so far, Franchy Cordero has hit .294 with two homers, three runs, five hits, and seven RBIs. Moreover, the outfielder stepped up against his ex-team, the Baltimore Orioles, and helped the Yankees register a series win. While his defense remains a bit edgy, the Yankees players and coaching staff are highly impressed with the newcomer. Aaron Judge, Aaron Boone, and Nestor Corter praised Franchy’s attacking gameplay on the field. However, Cordero’s form is bad news for Aaron Hicks, who is hanging by a thread in the Bombers camp. He has enough competition existing in the bullpen, and the addition of Francy is only going to add to the misery.
Aaron Boone’s Latest Comments Suggest Why The Yankees Are Benching Aaron Hicks
Aaron Hicks, the New York Yankees’ first-choice left fielder, has spent almost 90% of the season so far on the bench. The frustration messed with the veteran’s head, who then publically called out the team for neglecting him and limiting his game time. Moreover, the Yankees started a newcomer, Franchy Cordero, ahead of him against the Orioles on Friday.
Explaining the decision, Yankees manager Aaron Boone took an indirect dig at Hicks. He said the team wants to have a quality hitter on the plate and not just a base runner. That sums up the move, as Hicks’ has been horrible in the offense since last season. The runs have dried up from his end, which hindered his place in the team in the first place.
