If someone asked why are the New York Yankees being extra cautious regarding giving huge contracts this season – the answer would surely be the fact that they’ve been burnt before. In fact, some of those burn marks are still itching the Pinstripes. One consequence of last season’s debacle was that the Pinstripes had to release a bunch of players, but here’s the deal – they’re still paying a big amount for a few of them. 

That’s right, the Yankees are paying players to play elsewhere. Does it sound familiar? It probably does because their cross-town rivals are doing the same. Looks like it’s a New York thing, but then again, this is a symptom of a deeper issue. So how much are the Yankees paying Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson, and how does it affect their offseason business?

Away but not completely apart – the Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson story

Both Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson were victims of a struggling Yankees’ side. The Pinstripes, which started the season as World Series favorites, were at the bottom of their division at a point. Things were dire and changes had to be made. So Hicks and Donaldson were DFA’d, but that didn’t mean the Yankees were free from their salaries. According to Spotrac – the Yankees will pay a collective $14.760 million for both of them. 

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Though one can sympathize with Hicks and Donaldson, they weren’t completely off the hook for their struggles. Hicks batted at an average of just .188 and had only 5 RBI in 28 games. The 34-year-old hasn’t been the same since Tommy John surgery in 2019, but hit rock bottom in 2023. He’s set to receive $8.760 million from the Yankees.

Donaldson’s struggles were even more pronounced. He chose slugging over consistent hitting, but despite hitting 10 homers, his hitting average was a scary .142 for the Yankees. This led to fans expressing their anger with the 38-year-old and made his departure a necessity. However, the Pinstripes still have to pay $6 million to him.

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Does this have an impact on how the Yankees are conducting their business this offseason? Possibly. 

The New York Yankees – once bitten twice shy

The Yankees will have to pay Hicks next year as well. But the issue is that recently some of the biggest deals of the Pinstripes have turned out to be busts. Giancarlo Stanton and Carlos Rodon are just two names that are being given big amounts but have not quite matched the expectations yet. All of this has led to the payroll of the Yankees skyrocketing, but them being nowhere near the Fall Classic. 

So while Hicks and Donaldson’s salaries might not affect the bottom line, they are symptoms of a deeper issue that the Yankees are trying to deal with. So is it a surprise that they’re being a little cautious this year regarding free agents?

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