Hicks for Murphy trade: 14 months later

[DaveW]

Murphy: nowhere to be found

Hicks: .318 Ba, 3 HR, 1.100 OPS

 

Oops!

[TheLeviathan]

Awww..this is cute!  Is this a yearly tradition now?

 

Cuz I remember this from last year too and Hicks ended with a .617 OPS and 65 OPS+.

 

Over/under on him topping 70 this year?  I take the under.

[Oldgoat_MN]

Hicks had a terrible year last year indeed, but he should be at his prime right now.

He had an OPS+ of 98 for us in 2015.

I don't think he'll break 100 this year, but I'd take the over on 70.

[KirbyDome89]

I would take a defensively competent 4th OFer on the bench over Murphy right now....

 

It wasn't an egregious L but they definitely didn't get the "better end," of the trade. 

[USAFChief]

Awww..this is cute! Is this a yearly tradition now?

 

Cuz I remember this from last year too and Hicks ended with a .617 OPS and 65 OPS+.

 

Over/under on him topping 70 this year? I take the under.

Would you trade Aaron Hicks for Danny Santana?

 

I thought so.

 

Because Aaron Hicks would look pretty good right now as a fourth OFer.

It was a terrible trade then, its a terrible trade now, and it'll be a terrible trade next year. You don't give up a player with Hicks' tools for a backup catcher (who can't even win THAT job), ever.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Would you trade Aaron Hicks for Danny Santana?

I thought so.

Because Aaron Hicks would look pretty good right now as a fourth OFer.
It was a terrible trade then, its a terrible trade now, and it'll be a terrible trade next year. You don't give up a player with Hicks' tools for a backup catcher (who can't even win THAT job), ever.

 

Aaron Hicks and Danny Santana are roughly similar offensive players.  Danny Santana has "tools" too.  At some point you're just not very good.  

 

It's quite possible this trade was just two bad players being swapped and no one got lucky because they're both still bad.

[USAFChief]

Aaron Hicks and Danny Santana are roughly similar offensive players.  Danny Santana has "tools" too.  At some point you're just not very good.  

 

It's quite possible this trade was just two bad players being swapped and no one got lucky because they're both still bad.

If Aaron Hicks is in right field today, they're still playing.

[TheLeviathan]

 

If Aaron Hicks is in right field today, they're still playing.

 

I didn't realize one game can be used as a means of measuring a trade.....

 

You'll have to excuse me if I doubt Hicks and his .600ish OPS was going to sit all that well with you if you were watching him flail every day and not from afar.

[USAFChief]

I didn't realize one game can be used as a means of measuring a trade.....

 

You'll have to excuse me if I doubt Hicks and his .600ish OPS was going to sit all that well with you if you were watching him flail every day and not from afar.

I was calling Hicks a great fourth OFer candidate long ago. The Yankees seem to agree.

 

He takes decent ABs, and can play all three OF spots. Runs well, has some pop.

 

Terrible trade.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I was calling Hicks a great fourth OFer candidate long ago. The Yankees seem to agree.

He takes decent ABs, and can play all three OF spots. Runs well, has some pop.

Terrible trade.

 

That's a lot of praise for a guy with the 6th worst OPS for players with over 350 ABs.

 

Clearly he can't translate any of those assets into meaningful production for his team.

 

[AZTwin]

At the time I viewed it as a Danny Ardoin like trade with slightly better prospects. Working out for the Yankees moreso than the twins. Oh well

[HitInAPinch]

Alas and alack.  A trade that didn't turnout all that well for the Twins.

 

I think a great many of us got drawn in by Murphy's 2014-2015 MLB stats.  I can only assume Murphy's decline is due to the embarrassment of finding himself playing behind Suzuki and Centeno.  

 

I also don't jump up and down too much over a very small sample size.  What Hicks has done in 7 games, 2 PA's is kinda sexy.  Let's see what happens in the next 7.

 

 

[drjim]

Awww..this is cute! Is this a yearly tradition now?

 

Cuz I remember this from last year too and Hicks ended with a .617 OPS and 65 OPS+.

 

Over/under on him topping 70 this year? I take the under.

I'll take the over. He's due for a decent season.

 

It would be nice to have Hicks at this point, and he'll have an ok season or two, but this trade will lead to more angst than it's worth.

[DaveW]

I bet hicks has a better career than Rosario even.

[AlwaysinModeration]

I'm still bummed about the JJ Hardy trade, but at some point we just have to get over it, and wish them best of luck. Preferably with a team other than the Yankees, though. (On a somewhat related note, I don't recall Anthony Swarzak hitting 96 during his Twins' tenure.)

 

You could also take the silver lining approach...Falvey and Levine are now in charge.

[WiesbadenDAN]

This is what he was hitting just 5 days ago: .231/.412/.308  Sure he was getting some walks, and I don't think anyone ever questioned his eye at the plate.  I think the .231 BA is what was the frustrating part of Hicks.  Anyway he seems like a nice guy and I hope the best for him, but his stats are basically blown up because of 2 of the last 3 games.

[EddieMatthews]

There's a lot of time spent looking for "losing" trades by Minnesota teams.  If this was a trade of two big names, it would be worth the ink.  Not so for Hicks and what's-his-name.  

 

Wishing the best for Hicks.  He seems to be a good guy who is having a struggle getting a career started.  Same for Murphy.  Not everyone is going to be a star.  Most professional players strive to make their team better and that they can make a positive contribution.  

 

I hope that our minor league teams can improve their player development and deliver players who will struggle less as they make the jump to MLB.  Go Twins!

[TheLeviathan]

I'll take the over. He's due for a decent season.

It would be nice to have Hicks at this point, and he'll have an ok season or two, but this trade will lead to more angst than it's worth.

I wouldn't say he is "due" anything. He struggles consistently making contact and his failure to produce effectively is a pretty established trend.

 

I get people wanting a better 4th outfielder, and I agree, but Hicks is as putrid as board whipping boy Santana and yet this thread is lauding his brilliance. Amazing.

[DaveW]

Hicks has hit more home runs in the first two weeks this season then santana likely will hit in the next 5 years.

 

Hicks >>>>>>>>>>> Santana and it's not even close, don't be ridiculous Lev.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Whether the trade was good or bad, Hicks has 31 PAs on the season and has swung at just 30% of the pitches thrown his way.

 

I'll just go ahead and wait this one out before forming an opinion.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Hicks has hit more home runs in the first two weeks this season then santana likely will hit in the next 5 years.

Hicks >>>>>>>>>>> Santana and it's not even close, don't be ridiculous Lev.

While their career trajectories could change from this point forward, the biggest difference I see between Hicks and Santana is that Santana was actually good at one point.

 

Also lucky, but still good.

[Brandon Warne]

This should come with a small sample size trigger warning.

 

Either way, I hated the deal at the time, but I at least understood it. Finding a catcher is really difficult, and I actually sort of like the idea of finding an unheralded guy stuck behind a great player (McCann) and a great prospect (take your pick, Sanchez or even Romine). 

 

The process was right here. The Twins sold high on Hicks and bought low on Murphy. It just hasn't worked out. But ask Yankee fans with half a brain, and they'd say the same thing. 

[TheLeviathan]

Whether the trade was good or bad, Hicks has 31 PAs on the season. He has swung at just 30% of the pitches thrown his way.

 

I'll just go ahead and wait this one out before forming an opinion.

Hey, give Hicks credit! He's realized swinging a bat at a baseball for hits isn't his specialty. Standing there and hoping might give him a shot at cracking the elusive 70 OPS+ barrier...

[drjim]

 

I wouldn't say he is "due" anything. He struggles consistently making contact and his failure to produce effectively is a pretty established trend.

I get people wanting a better 4th outfielder, and I agree, but Hicks is as putrid as board whipping boy Santana and yet this thread is lauding his brilliance. Amazing.

 

Hicks at least plays a pretty solid defensive OF at all positions, and has shown a little from the right handed side, which would fit nicely with the current OF alignment.

 

Again, I think this will cause more angst than it is worth, as 4th OFs can be found elsewhere, but he would absolutely be a better fit right now.

[blindeke]

This debate would be a lot more interesting if JR Murphy wasn't a complete zero.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Also, Hicks (unsurprisingly) has hit all three of his home runs in Yankee Stadium.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Hey, give Hicks credit! He's realized swinging a bat at a baseball for hits isn't his specialty. Standing there and hoping might give him a shot at cracking the elusive 70 OPS+ barrier...

Right now, somewhere in the bowels of Target Field, Joe Mauer is studying film of Hicks' 2017 season, trying to figure out how to shave 8% off his swing rate.

[mikelink45]

It doesn't really mean anything, but I thought this was a fun posting.  We should reflect on past trades and decisions.  Lets look at the end of the season.  I hope Ryan is still in the minors and Garver is in the majors and I would love to see Hicks do well no matter how it reflects on the team.

[Mike Sixel]

So, now we can't talk about past trades? I've never understood people coming into a thread saying it was a stupid thread. don't want to talk about it, read about it? don't come...

 

I was thinking about this trade the other day. I still think it is two bad players for each other. I always felt the Twins were overly impressed by a couple ABs by Murphy against their terrible pitching staff. 

 

Hicks and Buxton....anyone notice a trend?

[Doomtints]

Bringing up Hicks having a good week is trolling. Not the epic trolling that the imminent Dozier trade thread was, but trolling nonetheless. I give this one a D-, since this one has been done so many times before.

 

What sucks in my view is that fans claim Buxton has turned the corner every time he has a good week, just like what was done to Hicks. They both look equally lost at the plate. With Buxton's ceiling I'm all for "giving him time" but we gotta stop claiming guys are fixed after a couple of weeks. Twins pundits did not learn the lesson that Hicks gift wrapped for them. Adjusting to the majors is a process, not an event. No young player is 100% after one good week or even one good month.

 

Hicks (and Buxton, for that matter), proved to me that the "tools" conversation is a bit daft. Hitting is the essential tool, if that "tool" is failing miserably the other tools do not matter. In his era, Michael Jordan was considered to be the best athlete in all of sports. He certainly was very "toolsy." How did his MLB career pan out?

 

It might be a good time to review the threads just a couple of weeks ago about how Buxton was about to be a power hitter. You'll find the same crazy stuff in old Hicks threads I'm sure. After that, try to resist throwing your computer out the window.