Two extensions were announced in the baseball world, right in the midst of all the trades taking place at the NHL Trade Deadline. One of those extensions involved the leader of the dugout for the Colorado Rockies, as they gave manager Bud Black a three-year contract extension. This comes after consecutive playoff appearances for the team, as his contract now runs through the 2022 season. The news was announced Monday morning in Scottsdale, Arizona, home of the Rockies' Cactus League Spring Training camp.
The 61-year-old has gone 178-147 since joining the Rockies on November 7th, 2016. That gives him a winning percentage of .548, which is the best in franchise history. The Rockies are coming off a 91-72 season, which landed them in the National League Wild Card Game. They would beat the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field there, before falling to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Divisional Series. The year before that, they fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the same Wild Card contest. That was the first time in team history that the Rockies had back-to-back postseason appearances, and they will look for the NL West Division crown this season with the Los Angeles Dodgers switching things up at the top.
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees took care of one of their underrated assets in their stocked lineup heading in to this season. And that is outfielder Aaron Hicks, who received a seven-year contract extension that is worth $70 million. The new deal keeps the former Minnesota Twins center fielder with the Yankees through the 2025 season. He will have a club option for the 2026 campaign. The official financial details were not released, but this deal prevents Hicks from testing the free agency waters next winter.
Hicks fully earned this contract last season, as he set career highs with 137 games played, 27 home runs, 79 RBIs, 90 runs scored, and a 4.7 WAR (wins above replacement for those who do not care for sabermetrics). This deal has reportedly been in the works since last December, with talks heating up exponentially over the past few days. Hicks was traded to the Yankees from the Twins after the 2015 season, and has come on strong after a slow start in the Bronx. The outfielder hit just .217 in his first season in pinstripes, but the 29-year-old overcame health struggles to get things going and force himself back in to the starting lineup. He is just a .236 career hitter, but is seen as a hitter on the rise in a hitter-friendly ballpark, especially for left-handed bats.
The 61-year-old has gone 178-147 since joining the Rockies on November 7th, 2016. That gives him a winning percentage of .548, which is the best in franchise history. The Rockies are coming off a 91-72 season, which landed them in the National League Wild Card Game. They would beat the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field there, before falling to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Divisional Series. The year before that, they fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the same Wild Card contest. That was the first time in team history that the Rockies had back-to-back postseason appearances, and they will look for the NL West Division crown this season with the Los Angeles Dodgers switching things up at the top.
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees took care of one of their underrated assets in their stocked lineup heading in to this season. And that is outfielder Aaron Hicks, who received a seven-year contract extension that is worth $70 million. The new deal keeps the former Minnesota Twins center fielder with the Yankees through the 2025 season. He will have a club option for the 2026 campaign. The official financial details were not released, but this deal prevents Hicks from testing the free agency waters next winter.
Hicks fully earned this contract last season, as he set career highs with 137 games played, 27 home runs, 79 RBIs, 90 runs scored, and a 4.7 WAR (wins above replacement for those who do not care for sabermetrics). This deal has reportedly been in the works since last December, with talks heating up exponentially over the past few days. Hicks was traded to the Yankees from the Twins after the 2015 season, and has come on strong after a slow start in the Bronx. The outfielder hit just .217 in his first season in pinstripes, but the 29-year-old overcame health struggles to get things going and force himself back in to the starting lineup. He is just a .236 career hitter, but is seen as a hitter on the rise in a hitter-friendly ballpark, especially for left-handed bats.
