Opening Time: Aaron Hicks would like your attention
The Minnesota Twins, for all their fine play this year, are not an attention-grabbing franchise on the national landscape. Perhaps that’s why Aaron Hicks is still kicking around free-agent wires despite a strong rally this summer.
Although Hicks is just 25, he’s already had his share of ups and downs during his pro career. He was the 14th overall pick in the 2008 draft, and was ranked favorably in prospect circles for the ensuing four years. But the star quickly faded when Hicks flopped with the Twins in 2013 and 2014. Over what’s essentially a full-season sample, he posted a putrid .201/.293/.313 slash, along with nine homers and 13 steals, in those two campaigns.
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Of course, all prospects mature at different rates and times, and perhaps something has clicked with Hicks in 2015. He spent a month with Triple-A Rochester and killed it, a .333/.404/.523 line. And he’s definitely held his own with the Twins, batting .288 with four homers and eight steals over 49 games.
The story really gets fun if we focus on July, when Hicks has taken over a dedicated starting role. He’s slashing .343/.422/.557 this month, with three homers, two steals, and solid run production. If you rank all fantasy outfielders for value this month, Hicks checks in at 13th (just ahead of some hefty names: McCutchen, Harper, Braun).
Hicks is no longer a prized jewel in the Minnesota farm system, mind you - ballyhooed prospect Byron Buxton is the next big thing. And I recognize that Buxton’s inevitable return from a thumb injury (could be mid-August, could be September) is keeping some fantasy owners from taking Hicks seriously. That’s contrary to how I generally play in a mixer - I take the present seriously and I want a player who’s producing right now. If Buxton comes back hale and ready to go, fine, then we can worry about the new order then.
And to be fair with Buxton, he’s still just 21, he’s coming off a thumb injury (one of the classic lingering ailments), and he didn’t do much of anything in his brief MLB trial (37 ABs, 7 H, 0 HR, 1 SB, 2 CS, 2 BB, 15 K, .189/.231/.270). Down the road, everyone expects wonderful things from Buxton, sure. I’m not going to expect them in 2015.
Hicks is ready to add in 95 percent of Yahoo leagues. He might just make it after all.
• So much for the Jim Johnson fantasy relevance days. He’s expected to be shipped to the Dodgers in the Alex Wood/Hector Olivera deal (where Johnson surely will not close), and that means the Braves will soon have an opening in the ninth inning.
Arodys Vizcaino looks like the most likely candidate to step into the Atlanta breach. He has a fastball in the mid-to-high 90s and terrific strikeout numbers in the minors, though at the MLB level he’s merely an 8.3 K/9 guy. He’s also dealt with control issues, which could keep him from running away with the gig. Atlanta beat writer David O’Brien has endorsed Vizcaino as the first option, and that makes sense. The Viz has been a popular Yahoo add over the last 24 hours, but he's still free to acquire in 86 percent of Yahoo leagues.
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If you’re looking to play a secondary candidate, perhaps journeyman David Aardsma is more your speed. He’s given the Braves 20 strong relief innings (1.80/1.00, 8 BB. 21 K) and he has two years of closing experience, gained with the 2009-2010 Mariners. Atlanta went with two veterans in the closing chair earlier in the year, for what it’s worth. Aardsma is unclaimed freight in 99 percent of Yahoo leagues.
