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MINNEAPOLIS, MN- OCTOBER 02: Aaron Hicks #32 of the Minnesota Twins bats against the Kansas City Royals on October 2, 2015 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Royals defeated the Twins 3-1. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)

A closer look at Aaron Hicks

Trades. Out of all of the major sports, baseball seems to have more trades than the rest. During the offseason, things get heated and interesting with deals being made all over the place. The Yankees decided to jump into the action early by sending back-up catcher John Ryan Murphy to the Twins for outfielder Aaron Hicks.

The California native was selected 14th overall by the Twins out of Woodrow Wilson High School (Long Beach, Calif.) in the 2008 first-year player draft. After five-plus years in the minors, he was called up to the big leagues and made his debut on April 1, 2013, going 0-4 with three strikeouts.

Overall in ’13, Hicks had 281 at-bats in which he hit just .192. The biggest positive was his ability to hit for power, as he connected for eight home runs. During his sophomore season in ’14, Hicks was limited to 186 at-bats while hitting .215 with just one long ball.

With more consistent at-bats and playing time, things started to click for Hicks in ’15. In 97 games, he went on to hit .256 with 11 homeruns and 33 RBI. He also added 13 stolen bases, flashing his speed along with power. He showcased his defense as well with a fielding percentage of .996 with two double plays along with nine assists from the outfield. He also made a habit of robbing homeruns.

As a switch hitter, Hicks is patient at the plate and works the count, although he’s much stronger from the right side. Last season, he hit .304 against lefties including six of his 11 homers. Right now, the Yankees view Hicks as a younger version of Chris Young, although his role might change depending on what they decide to do with Brett Gardner.

Whichever route the Yanks decide to take involving their outfielders and the trade market, Hicks provides athleticism and flexibility on an aging roster. Even though he’s 26 and has yet to tap into his potential, he and the Yankees believe the best is yet to come. Not all players get off to fast starts in the bigs, just ask the Royals’ Alex Gordon, who didn’t burst onto the scene until his age 27 season.

Brian Cashman and Yankees fans hope they’ve found a hidden gem in Hicks.