June 16, 201412 yr You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3108-The-Cloudy-Future-of-Aaron-Hicks
June 16, 201412 yr Hicks is not the center fielder of the future, but he might be the center fielder of the present? I'm not as sold on Santana and I kind of soured a little on Fuld after yesterday. That leaves Hicks. No one is really down on his fielding (which, yes, is no better than average iirc), it's just the hitting and the off field stuff that bugs people. How would Hick's OBP compare to other 9-hole hitters? He doesn't seem to ever make solid contact but he has been working walks. Now that we have a stronger lineup, maybe it wouldn't be too bad to have Hicks bat 9th and just try to get on base or bunt guys over.
June 17, 201412 yr Do I have to mention Carlos Gomez? Although I'm sure Gomez wouldn't have what he is doing if he stayed with the Twins. I hope they stay patient with him until Buxton or Rosario are ready
June 17, 201412 yr Cody, you know how I feel about Aaron Hicks. I love his OBP skills. And with Danny Santana continuing to play way way over his head, Hicks can slot in at the bottom of the lineup, especially a deeper lineup with the Morales signing, and Hicks can be a big asset to a front of the lineup with some pop (see Brian Dozier). If Hicks can battle and take good ABs from the bottom of the lineup to set the table for the guys at the top, while playing passable defense in CF, well heck, that's a quality MLB player. Sam Fuld is hitting .228/.290/.380, Hicks is currently .198/.338/.262 but has considerably more upside. I know everyone is hating on Hicks for his low BA, but as Cody pointed out, since he gave up being a switch hitter he's coming around. And I just don't understand how the Twins cant find room for a guy who gets on base. Base runners turn into runs. Is 30 points of BA and 118 points of SLG worth sacrificing nearly 50 points of OBP? I don't think so. Let Hicks mature against MLB caliber breaking balls at the MLB level. Hicks can do it, he's our man, if he can't do it... EDDIE ROSARIO CAN! How about Danny Santana at SS, Escobar at 3B and Hicks in CF when he gets back while we all wait for Trevor Plouffe to recover?
June 18, 201412 yr If Hicks is part of the future of the Twins, it will not be in center field. That position appears destined for Byron Buxton to take. Rumors indicate that Hicks will start to see reps in the corner outfield. If that is the case, than that is likely where we might see him in the future if is indeed part of it. If Hicks can start hitting, which I know he CAN do, he can be an option in the corner outfield, which would make the Twins' outfield much speedier.
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