Yankees acquire OF Aaron Hicks from Minnesota
The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired OF Aaron Hicks from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for C John Ryan Murphy.
Hicks, 26, hit .256 (90-for-352) with 48R, 11 doubles, 11HR and 33RBI in 97 games with the Twins in 2015. The switch-hitter batted .307 (31-for-101) with 6HR off left-handed pitching last season and has hit .272 (62-for-228) with 10HR in his career off left-handers.
The Long Beach, Calif., native has appeared at all three outfield positions in his career, playing 226 games in centerfield, 21 in right field and 10 in left field, posting a .995 fielding percentage as an outfielder (657 total chances, three errors). In 2015, he had nine outfield assists and made just one error in 254 chances (.996 fielding pct.).
Hicks was originally selected by the Twins in the first round (14th overall) of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. He made his Major League debut with Minnesota in 2013 and is a .225 (184-for-819) career batter with 20HR and 78RBI in 247 games.
Murphy, 24, hit .277 (43-for-155) with 3HR and 14RBI in 67 games (43 starts at catcher) for the Yankees in 2015, spending the entire season at the Major League level for the first time in his career. He ranked third among AL catchers in batting average (min. 100AB) behind the Orioles' Steve Clevenger (.287) and the Rays' John Jaso (.286). He was originally selected by the Yankees in the second round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft and hit .267 (70-for-262) with 4HR and 24RBI in 115 games at the Major League level with the club.
The Yankees' 40-man roster now stands at 38.
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