Article: It's Time For Aaron Hicks

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Why wait? In under a years time Buxton will be the man and where does that leave Hicks but as a 4th outfielder. What the Twins have in center now is a joke. This is Hicks final shot before Buxton takes over.

Why do some think that Hicks either plays center or is a fourth outfielder? He could play a corner position if he can OPS over .700. A defensive outfield of Rosario, Buxton, and Hicks would be terrifying to opposing batters.

[spinowner]

 

Why do some think that Hicks either plays center or is a fourth outfielder? He could play a corner position if he can OPS over .700. A defensive outfield of Rosario, Buxton, and Hicks would be terrifying to opposing batters.

By next year I hope I see Arcia as the primary left fielder, Buxton as the primary center fielder and Hicks as the primary right fielder with Rosario as the fourth outfielder and backup second baseman. Hicks can play center when Buxton has a day off but with his arm he can be one of the best defensive right fielders in baseball. Vargas will be the primary DH for now which means Arcia will have to play left to be in the lineup.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I see the Twins being forced to move one or more of Vargas, Pinto, or Arcia in the next year or two. The Twins have three players who profile best as DH and a slew of outfield prospects that are better defensively. Something has to give.

[Minniman]

 

I personally dont see a correlation between Hicks off on Sunday and the Twins having Monday off..........my opinion Hicks wont be up till June 15, or till when he finishes season his service time is less than 2 yrs, as of start of season his service time was 1 yr 67 days.

 

Bingo!

 

Keep him in AAA until he proves himself in all areas, and keep his service time down. Hicks did not pay his dues in AAA, and that showed. The Twins basically gave him service time in the Bigs when he should have been mastering his skills off the clock.

[Twinfan & Dad]

But getting back to the topic we need to see if Hicks can stick this time with Molitor as his manager and Hunter holding him accountable. I like your idea with Arcia in left as you need some power with your corner guys.

[laloesch]

Patience little grasshopper.  All in due time.  There is no reason to rush Hicks.  Let's see how he does through the month of May.  If he's still hitting well towards the end of the month then it's time.  Not before though.  We've seen this from Aaron before.

[DJL44]

 

Our favorite team is attempting to salvage a once top prospect who has lost his luster. While doing so, they have remained in contention with admitted placeholders in CF. What's the down side?

 

The downside is slipping out of contention because they stayed with placeholders in CF too long. Are they playing for 3rd place?

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

There is no dispute Hicks has a bit of an stubborn, yet air head quality to him. Other notable Twins failures that have had that liability? Carlos Gomez and Matt Garza. Since Gardy was here so long, it seemed like the Twins Doghouse was his property. But maybe there was a silent partner. Molitor makes pronouncements and excuses for players being here, or not. But is that the "good soldier" bit? They sent Hicks down to improve, he has done his part. He's not a 22 yr old rookie anymore, and he's not trying to replace Mike Trout or Torri Hunter! And it's time to get a handle on this decision. This is still a very flawed baseball team. Keep shuffling the chairs!

 

I think we need to be a bit careful about determining what character flaws Hicks may or may not have.  I have no doubt that there's a mental component here (there is for everyone), and I'll even go as far as saying it weighs a bit bigger with Hicks than it does for other players, but to say he's an air head, stubborn, has attitude issues, etc. goes a bit too far in my opinion (and I should that as a moderator, there's a policy on this too), so please let's try to keep this toping going without personal shots at Hicks.

 

I get the point that this is a flawed BB team that's in contention.  You're absolutely right, but as others have pointed out, this is still in SSS territory.  Granted Hicks never had a stretch like this in the last two years in the majors, but he did have some nice spring training stretches.  I also think you're right in that there's probably some sort of personality conflict between Him and Gardenhire, but we are talking about 20 games here.  I think there's something to letting him get comfortable.  I'd rather not bring him north a 3rd time so he can turn out to be no better than the guys he's replacing.  Let's see if he can repeat it. 

[Blackjack]

One month in the minors will not cure his 'head' problems.  Let him work thru some slumps, let him stress out over not getting the call, let him think about how much harder he's going to work and what he will do differently when he finally does get back up. August or September or even next year is fine by me.  Hunter will be gone next year, let him, Arcia, Buxton, and Rosario fight for the 3 outfield spots.

[DJL44]

"this is still a young kid"

 

He's 25. When I was 25 I had two kids and a mortgage.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

The downside is slipping out of contention because they stayed with placeholders in CF too long. Are they playing for 3rd place?

 

I'm not sure it's playing for 3rd place as much as it is doing what's in the org's best long term interest.  Hicks being a major league contributor is best for the org long term.  I won't argue that plan A for CF was not a good plan, but I do think that the org's best long term interests are far better served by letting Hicks spend a bit more time in AAA.  If what he's doing is for real, I think this will probably be better for the Twins for this season too if he comes up a bit later.  Given the mental issues that a lot of us think are in play here, letting him build confidence is a good idea in my opinion.

[tobi0040]

I take a pretty simplistic view here. 

 

Schafer and Robinson are not part of the future in MN.  We know that for sure.  Hicks may or may not be part of the future, we don't know.  And in 30-60 days, we will likely have our CF for the next 10+ years.  So the window to get Hicks reps closes pretty quickly.  He went down, and yes it is a smaller sample.  But he produced.  The concerns were batting average and slugging.  He is killing it down there on both fronts (.330 and .553).  Give the guy another 30-60 days up here and see how he responds.  In the end we should have more clarity.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

The downside is slipping out of contention because they stayed with placeholders in CF too long. Are they playing for 3rd place?

Going into the season, I would have been very happy with third place. This is a development year. If they manage to win during that development, great... But I'm interested in the Twins doing all they can to build sustained success, even if it costs a few wins in 2015.

[Steven Buhr]

A couple of years ago, someone in the Twins organization explained to me why they don't promote a hitter based on a hot first month or so of the season. They want to see how the guy fares when opponents' starting pitchers get to see him a second time. Pitchers make adjustments and they like to see how those adjustments affect the hitter & whether he can, in turn, make his own adjustments.

 

Might not be as big a deal for a guy like Hicks who is certainly no stranger, at this point, to AAA pitchers. On the other hand, Rochester will be playing a few teams for the second time over the next couple weeks.

 

Personally, I'd like to see him promoted to the Twins so we can find out what he's capable of. It would make some sense to me, at the same time, to promote Buxton to AAA and see what he can do there for a few weeks.

 

If it's a couple more weeks before those transactions happen, I won't throw a fit. If those two OFs keep producing and it's mid July before the promotions happen, that would be frustrating to me.

[spinowner]

 

I'm not sure it's playing for 3rd place as much as it is doing what's in the org's best long term interest.  Hicks being a major league contributor is best for the org long term. 

Bingo. Look at the entire organization from top to bottom. While the major league team happens to be riding a hot wave fueled by a good-hitting lineup, the organization is still rebuilding. As such, the front office should be and appears to be looking at 2016 and beyond as a realistic target for contending for postseason play. Do what's best for Hicks without regard to the major league team's 2015 win-loss record.

[Jham]

 

The downside is slipping out of contention because they stayed with placeholders in CF too long. Are they playing for 3rd place?

 

If "upgrading" to Hicks is the only thing keeping us from winning the division, then trade for a real CF or call up Buxton and make a serious run.  Personally, I have not seen CF situation as that horrible.  In fact, I consider it a step up from what Hicks has provided us.  

[sdtwins37]

Hicks will get another chance when Buxton is ready for a brief AAA stint. This could be soon but may not be until after the June 8th draft for roster purposes. When Arcia comes back,Schafer is gone regardless. I think that Hicks gets another shot and Rosario goes back for awhile. Arcia LF, Hicks CF, Hunter RF, Robinson 4th. Rosario is too young to be our 4th out fielder, he has to play somewhere everyday.

 

If we are still in contention as far as the wild card is concerned then this could all go another direction. Bring the best bats forward. Buxton CF, Arcia LF, Hunter RF, Hicks 4th OF. A little hesitant to put Hicks as 4th OF but if he continues to hit, his bat and speed could be of benefit down the stretch off the bench. Also he would be a great late inning defensive replacement for Arcia in LF. Not an expert, just my thoughts. I think about this stuff a lot just never post it. Go Twins!

[BK432]

 

It's not about the major league club it's about doing the right thing for Hicks which would be to let him master AAA.

 

I appreciate your conservative approach, but I just flat-out disagree. I'm not sure what the point is of making anyone 'master' AAA at age 25. He's either going to be serviceable in Minneapolis or he's not. If he's found his stroke and confidence, get him up. He'll be better than Robinson/Schafer immediately.

[stringer bell]

Yes, there is a reason to move Hicks up soon.  That reason is Byron Buxton. 

 

Further, I don't ever see Hicks as a starting corner outfielder.  I can't see him hitting enough ever to have his bat play in left or center.

 

Finally, as long as Target Field  has more ground to cover in left, the Twins should put the least mobile outfielder in right field.  In the scenarios above, that guy is Oswaldo Arcia.

[Mike Sixel]

I predict 2-3 more weeks of success is needed before he is up.

[Dman]

 

A couple of years ago, someone in the Twins organization explained to me why they don't promote a hitter based on a hot first month or so of the season. They want to see how the guy fares when opponents' starting pitchers get to see him a second time. Pitchers make adjustments and they like to see how those adjustments affect the hitter & whether he can, in turn, make his own adjustments.

 

Might not be as big a deal for a guy like Hicks who is certainly no stranger, at this point, to AAA pitchers. On the other hand, Rochester will be playing a few teams for the second time over the next couple weeks.

 

Personally, I'd like to see him promoted to the Twins so we can find out what he's capable of. It would make some sense to me, at the same time, to promote Buxton to AAA and see what he can do there for a few weeks.

 

If it's a couple more weeks before those transactions happen, I won't throw a fit. If those two OFs keep producing and it's mid July before the promotions happen, that would be frustrating to me.

 

 

Although my heart says bring him up, my head says lets give this a little more time.  I like what you had to say about ptichers seeing him a second or third time.  If he continue's to have success the next few weeks then lets bring him up.  Otherwise there are still things for him to work on in AAA.

 

If he can fix hitting from the left side I think he can be a good corner outfileder as well. Lot's of if's with Aaron but I ahve faith he will figure things out.

[Mac]

With Hick's horrible track record in the majors, he needs more time in AAA until he can prove that the last month hasn't been an anomoly.

 

And why lump Schafer & Robinson together?  Shane Robinson is hitting .315 and has displayed excellent defense since day 1.  He may not be part of the future with the Twins, but so far he's excelled well past expectations.  

[Mike Sixel]

All the people saying "wait"......IF he keeps this up, how long would you wait? 2 weeks? 6 weeks? More?

[Otto von Ballpark]

I fully endorsed sending Hicks to AAA to begin the year, regardless of his spring training or our other CF options.

 

That said, if a month of .330/.412/.553 with a career high ISO and almost a career low K% (while maintaining his usual plus BB%) isn't enough to swap him for an under-performing Jordan Schafer (who's had nagging injuries?), then the Twins really should have gotten a better alternative for CF this past offseason.

 

Throughout his career, Hicks has been a bit Jeckyl-and-Hyde, not unlike Pelfrey.  An extra month of AAA isn't going to change that.  If he's having a Jeckyl year now, let's take advantage.

[nytwinsfan]

Give Hicks another week or two, and if he doesn't fall off a cliff, call him up.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Not gonna happen. With his track record he needs to prove himself longer than one month. The Twins have screwed him up several times already. Let him prove it until July and then bring him up if he is still raking.

 

 

My list of IF's

 

1.  IF the Twins are still hovering around .500 at the All Star break [July 14]

2.  IF Hicks is still on a hitting rampage at the All Star break AND is focused

3.  IF the Schaefer/Robinson collective are still a mediocre combo in CF

4.  THEN it's time to bring up Hicks.

 

July is insane.  Buxton could/should be up in July.  And neither of those moves (Hicks now, Buxton July) would have anything to do with our 2015 record or how Schafer/Robinson perform (given their 4th/5th OF upside).  These moves would have to do with preparing for 2016.

 

A couple months starting in CF for both Hicks and Buxton will aid our offseason planning (and trade deadline planning, in Hicks' case) and should be beneficial for the players too going into 2016.

[Craig Arko]

I'd expect a decision will be made when Ryan gets back from his Lookouts junket. Possibly involving multiple moves.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

All the people saying "wait"......IF he keeps this up, how long would you wait? 2 weeks? 6 weeks? More?

It depends on Hicks' production. If he's still doing this in two weeks, I consider a promotion. If he's doing this in mid-June and hasn't received a promotion, then I'll start to wonder what the hell the Twins are thinking. So, to put a number on it, 2-4 weeks if Hicks continues raking in Rochester.

 

Hicks has been very good for three weeks. Given Hicks' recent history, three weeks isn't enough for me and I don't think it's enough to prove anything about Hicks' mental state, though I will defer to the coaching staff there for obvious reasons.

[Twinfan & Dad]

At 25 years of age either he is an asset or not. At this time it is not. One reason Hunter was brought back was to tutor the young guys and help them mature. Lets see if he can be the role model for playing hard rub off on Hicks. The longer we wait and not see if he can produce at the major league level the less value he has with the organization. How long do we wait. Lets see what Molitor and Hunter can provide for his confidence and hope that this final shot gives us an idea if he is an asset or not.Buxton is coming hopefully soon so Hicks value may be tougher to prove with the CF AB's used by Buxton.

[Steve Lein]

 

Yes, there is a reason to move Hicks up soon.  That reason is Byron Buxton. 

 

Further, I don't ever see Hicks as a starting corner outfielder.  I can't see him hitting enough ever to have his bat play in left or center.

 

Finally, as long as Target Field  has more ground to cover in left, the Twins should put the least mobile outfielder in right field.  In the scenarios above, that guy is Oswaldo Arcia.

 

I understand the idea behind the "can't hit enough for a corner OF" argument, but I also think it's a fundamentally flawed one.

 

Outfielders aren't the only position that make up a roster. You can get power from wherever it shows up on the diamond.

 

A corner OF-er doesn't NEED to hit for a bunch of power if you're getting it from somewhere else.

 

Plouffe, Vargas, Hunter, Dozier, and Arcia can provide power. How many spots in the lineup do you think have to have it?!

 

If I'm looking to the future, There's Buxton, Arcia, Vargas, Plouffe, Dozier, Sano... Why do you think Hicks has to be a masher to stick?

 

Personally, I love the Idea of a Rosario, Buxton, Hicks outfield of the future (I've advocated trading Arcia for three years now, love his bat, but he doesn't belong in an OF so just isn't a good fit here), along with a lineup that also has Mauer, Plouffe, Sano, Vargas, Dozier, and Santana/Polanco in it.

 

Why on earth would we "require" power from Hicks in a corner outfield spot with that lineup? That's a potentially very powerful lineup that would also provide incredible outfield defense.