After linking up with the Phillies on a minor-league deal during the offseason, Hicks had spent the entire 2023 campaign with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, hitting .206 with three home runs and 11 stolen bases across 206 plate appearances. While the 33-year-old could land another minor-league deal from an organization looking to add to its catcher depth, he'll have an uphill battle to reach the majors, where he hasn't appeared since 2021.
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Phillies' John Hicks: Goes to minors camp
Rotowire
The Phillies reassigned Hicks to minor-league camp Monday.
Philadelphia sent out Hicks and Aramis Garcia in its latest round of roster cuts, leaving Garrett Stubbs (knee) and Rafael Marchan (wrist) as the lone catchers battling for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind JT Realmuto. Stubbs should have the edge on those duties if the knee injury he's been nursing since the World Baseball Classic doesn't prevent him being available for Opening Day, but if neither Stubbs nor Marchan can overcome their lingering health concerns, Hicks could end up being a late addition to the 26-man active roster.
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Phillies' John Hicks: Inks minor-league deal with Philly
Rotowire
Hicks signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Friday.
The 33-year-old backstop hasn't seen extended action in the majors since 2019 with the Tigers, though he was able to put together a solid season for Triple-A Iowa last season with an .823 OPS. That being said, as long as J.T. Realmuto and Garrett Stubbs remain on the Phillies' big-league roster, it's hard to imagine HIcks getting any significant playing time in Philly.
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Cubs' John Hicks: Gets off to nice start
Rotowire
Hicks went 2-for-2 with a double, a solo home run and three RBI in Thursday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.
Hicks, who is a non-roster invitee to camp, supplied all of the offense for the Cubs in this one. The 32-year-old probably won't be much of a fantasy factor this season, though a strong spring could potentially help him earn a bench spot in Chicago.
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Cubs' John Hicks: Invited to camp
Rotowire
Hicks is attending big-league spring training as a non-roster invitee, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
This was expected after Hicks signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs back in January. The 32-year-old played in 10 games for the Rangers last season but saw more extensive work with the Tigers back in 2019, when he appeared in 95 games and hit 13 home runs. Hicks offers a little pop, but he likely won't play enough to be a fantasy factor in 2022.
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Cubs' John Hicks: Finds work in Windy City
Rotowire
The Cubs signed Hicks on Jan. 31 to a minor-league contract.
Hicks' deal presumably includes an invitation to big-league spring training, where he'll be competing for a spot on the Cubs' Opening Day roster as a reserve catcher. The 32-year-old backstop saw action in 10 big-league games for the Rangers in 2021, slashing .258/.258/.677 with four home runs across 31 plate appearances.
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Rangers' John Hicks: Outrighted to Triple-A
Rotowire
Hicks was outrighted to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.
Hicks passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment one week prior. He'll remain in an organizational depth role for the Rangers.
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Rangers' John Hicks: DFA'd by Texas
Rotowire
Hicks was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Friday.
Hicks was added to the roster in late June when Jose Trevino (forearm) landed on the injured list, and he's now lost his spot on the 26-man and 40-man rosters with Trevino healthy. Hicks appeared in 10 games and had a .258/.258/.677 slash line with four home runs and seven RBI.
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Rangers' John Hicks: Another big performance
Rotowire
Hicks went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored Tuesday against the Tigers.
Hicks had his contract selected June 29 due to an injury to Jose Trevino (forearm). He's had quite an impressive performance since, logging four home runs, six RBI and six runs scored across only three starts. While that's impressive, Hicks last appeared in the majors in 2019, when he posted a 56 wRC+ across 333 plate appearances.
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Rangers' John Hicks: Slugs two homers
Rotowire
Hicks went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in a 7-3 win over Seattle on Saturday.
Hicks went yard off opposing starter Marco Gonzales to lead off both the third and fourth innings in only his third appearance of 2021. He last played in the big leagues in 2019 and slashed .210/.240/.379 with 29 runs and 35 RBI in 95 games with Detroit that season.
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Rangers' John Hicks: Homers in 2021 debut
Rotowire
Hicks went 2-for-4 with a home run and a pair of runs scored Thursday against Oakland.
Making his first major-league appearance since 2019, the former Mariner and Tiger blasted a solo homer in the sixth inning and added a single in the eighth. The 31-year-old has enjoyed productive stretches in his previous MLB stints -- he had a .766 OPS for Detroit in 2017 and popped 13 homers in 2019 -- but is likely headed back to Triple-A Round Rock once Jose Trevino (forearm) is back to full health.
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Rangers' John Hicks: Joins Rangers
Rotowire
The Rangers selected Hicks' contract Tuesday from Triple-A Round Rock.
Hicks will serve as the backup catcher while Jose Trevino (forearm) misses a few days. He's hit .264 with three home runs and 17 RBI in 110 minor-league at-bats this year. If he gets any playing time, it'll be his first big-league appearance since 2019 with the Tigers.
Hicks was reassigned to minor-league camp Thursday.
Hicks was a non-roster invitee to begin spring training and went 2-for-7 with a two-run home run and three strikeouts over six Cactus League games. He could join the major-league roster as catching depth at some point in 2021 but should begin the year with Triple-A Round Rock.
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Rangers' John Hicks: Joining Rangers camp
Rotowire
Hicks signed a minor-league contract with Texas on Friday that includes an invite to spring training.
Hicks has appeared in the big leagues in parts of five seasons, with his .235/.280/.391 career slash line leaving him firmly in backup catcher territory. He's probably on the outside looking in even for that role, however, as he struggled to a 56 wRC+ in 2019 before failing to appear on a 40-man roster at any point in 2020.
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John Hicks: Parts ways with Arizona
Rotowire
The Diamondbacks released Hicks on Saturday.
The non-contending Diamondbacks weren't planning on calling Hicks up from their alternate training site during the final week of the regular season, so the veteran catcher will instead get a head start on finding a new home in advance of the 2021 campaign. The 31-year-old will likely have to settle for a minor-league deal again this winter after submitting a .210/.240/.379 line across 333 plate appearances during his most recent stint in the majors with Detroit in 2019.
Hicks will be a part of the Diamondbacks' 60-man summer camp.
Hicks was brought on by Arizona on a minor-league deal in January, but wasn't expected to make the final roster with Carson Kelly and Stephen Vogt penciled in as the club's primary backstops. Expanded rosters could improve Hicks' chances, but he'll also need to contend with Daulton Varsho, who may have a stronger case for a roster spot due to his ability to play outfield as well.
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Diamondbacks' John Hicks: Signs on with Snakes
Rotowire
Hicks signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. The deal includes an invitation to big-league spring training.
Arizona appears set to open the upcoming season with Carson Kelly and Stephen Vogt as its two backstops, but the latter's history of concussions makes Hicks a useful option to have in reserve at Triple-A Reno. Hicks played exclusively at the big-league level for Detroit the past two seasons but saw his performance dip in 2019, when he slashed just .210/.240/.379 across 333 plate appearances.
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John Hicks: Elects free agency
Rotowire
Hicks was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo on Thursday and elected free agency.
The 30-year-old saw inconsistent playing time throughout 2019 as the Tigers opted to give younger players some major-league experience. A change of scenery could help Hicks carve out a more established role, potentially in a more consistent timeshare, although he has shown to have below-average offensive production throughout his career. Hicks struggled at the plate last season, hitting just .210/.240/.379 with a 32.7 percent strikeout rate.
