Aaron Hicks could be a steal for the Yankees

I know it's only spring training, but I'm pretty excited about what I've seen from Aaron Hicks.

.@AaronHicks31 did NOT say you could advance to third. https://t.co/51iQP0TLmS #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/rJwEpeb6Kh

— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) March 20, 2016

.@AaronHicks31 sends one to the bullpen: https://t.co/NWRQtz8OYk #NYYSpringhttps://t.co/ZO8nEi8EM7 — New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 15, 2016

He's shown a lot of the tools that made him a 14th overall pick out of high school back in 2008. He's hit lefties as advertised, including that bomb off David Price last week. He's racked up multiple outfield assists, showing off his cannon of an arm and plus defense. The Yankees expect him to be a big part of the team this year, and all they gave up for him was a backup catcher in John Ryan Murphy.

Brian Cashman seems to be good at this kind of thing - finding players who have had down years that are due for rebound seasons, or guys who haven't yet blossomed that are primed to reach their full potential.

One recent trade that comes to mind is the Nick Swisher deal. In November of 2008, Cashman sent Wilson Betemit, Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez to the White Sox for Swisher, who had just come off a season in which he hit an abysmal .219/.332/.410 over 153 games.

Swisher had regressed in his career so much that all it took was a couple of meddling prospects and a journeyman in Betemit to obtain him. Swisher would revive his career in the Bronx, which included a World Series championship in 2009 and an all-star appearance in '10. It's one of the greatest deals of the Cashman era.

Now I know Swish was a starter and Hicks is expected to be the fourth outfielder, but one quote stands out to me that Cashman made over the winter. He said that he views Hicks as an everyday player, which tells you what the organization thinks of him.

We heard rumors that the Yankees were shopping Brett Gardner over the winter and that Hicks was ready to step into a starting role. Instead, the team plans to use the 26-year-old outfielder to spell Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran. Hicks can play every outfield position, which is something Joe Girardi will no doubt use to his advantage. We already know about the health concerns regarding the starters, so Hicks could end up with more playing time than originally expected.

There were questions about Hicks' maturity on the Twins. Sometimes he didn't even know who the opposing pitcher was until he arrived at the ballpark that day. He even stopped switch hitting altogether because of his struggles from the left side. He credits veteran Torii Hunter with teaching him how to be a big leaguer and how to conduct himself as a professional. The Yankees are loaded with veterans, so hopefully Hicks' education continues in the Bronx.

I think that if you look at where Hicks is in his career - you look at the change of scenery - he can be a real steal for the Yankees. We've seen how the pinstripes have awakened players in the past. Hicks seems like a guy who's ready to put all of his skills together.

If he can carry over his impressive play from the spring into the regular season, the Yanks will be in good shape.