On the road to Arizona - MLB

As much as I love the ice and cold of the great Midwest, it’s time to leave that nonsense behind for a spell. As you read this, I am en route to Phoenix. Spring training, my friends. Cactus-style. I’ll be there until a week from Friday.

While I’m in Arizona I’ll be taking in baseball in some form or another at all times. Today is a travel day, but I’m going to loiter around a camp tomorrow — haven’t decided which one yet — and I’ll take in games every day between Friday when the Giants and Diamondbacks kick things off in Scottsdale through next Thursday. In the mornings before games there will be more loitering about the practice fields and clubhouses. It’ll be a pip!

For those of you who followed my exploits in Florida last spring, it will be a lot like that. I’m going to try to be a little more multi-media about it this year, however, so by all means, follow me on Twitter, where I’ll be throwing up real time observations, photos and stuff before I censor myself and edit them into a more respectable, reflective and comprehensive writeup for the blog the next morning.

Oh, and if you happen to be cactusing too, by all means, leave a comment or drop me a line with any tips, insights, happenings or observations of your own. Perhaps then we can find a way to leverage the power of HBT Nation into something greater than the rambling first person recollections of a recovering lawyer with an expense account, a flask, a laptop and a pocket camera. Synergy, don’t you know.

Talk to you again when I get to AZ.

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”