The New York Yankees hit for the fences on Wednesday night, acquiring All-Star outfielder Juan Soto in a seven-player blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres during the Major League Baseball winter meetings.
However, the Bronx Bombers are not finished hacking.
The Yankees, who also acquired Trent Grisham from the Padres and Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox as part of the Padres deal, must now replenish their bullpen after shipping away several pitchers.
According to The Athletic, who cited a league source, New York is interested in signing right-handed reliever Jordan Hicks.
Given his youth and potential, Hicks is generating a lot of buzz in free agency. Injuries plagued the 27-year-old in recent seasons, but he was solid in 2023, posting a 3.29 ERA, 3.22 FIP, and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 65 appearances (65 2/3 innings) split between the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays. He also had 12 saves in his career (eight with St. Louis and four with Toronto).
This time of year, every team is looking for bullpen help. And, while relievers are often volatile on an annual basis, Hicks checks a lot of boxes as a hard-throwing hurler in his prime with late-inning experience (think triple-digit radar readings and 100th percentile velocity). MLB Trade Rumors predicted last month that Hicks would sign a four-year, $40 million contract on the open market, but even that could be a stretch if enough teams compete for his services.
In exchange for Soto, the Yankees sent to the Padres Michael King, Randy Vásquez, and Jhony Brito, three pitchers capable of starting or pitching in relief. They also depleted their prospect pool by sending Drew Thorpe to San Diego (after trading three pitchers to Boston in exchange for Verdugo), and thus have fewer organizational options to work with right now.
Overall, the Yankees will almost certainly bolster their bullpen at some point, especially since they’re clearly in win-now mode after trading for Soto and Verdugo, both of whom are in the final year of their contracts. Hicks would be a high-ceiling addition, albeit with some risk due to his history of injury and occasional control issues.
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