Some random thoughts after a spring training rainout:
TULO SEEMS HUNGRY
Call it an edge or a chip on his shoulder, whatever you want. Troy Tulowitzki has it. Any veteran player who can find that kind of motivation in a spring training game is trying hard to prove something. Tulo's reaction after a home run against his former team, the Blue Jays, on Monday gives you an idea of how much more it might mean in the regular season.
Will he get to face the Blue Jays in the regular season is the question. The Yankees don't play Toronto for the first time until early June, which is a long way away. Both his health and that of Didi Gregorius will be considerations at that point.
ANOTHER SCHEDULING QUIRK YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED
The Yankees don't visit Fenway Park for the first time until late July, two weeks after the All-Star break. The London trip has something to do with that, but it certainly is odd.
ON HICKS' CONTRACT
The seven-year, $70 million deal that Aaron Hicks signed was a bit of a shock. It's an extremely team-friendly deal because of the $10 million average annual value, which isn't nearly as prohibitive if Hicks underperforms in the last couple years of that contract.
Couple of things that jumped out to me: As a comparison to a late-blooming outfielder, I thought of Michael Brantley. I asked a former big leaguer who's been around the game a long time and is a former teammate of Brantley's what he thought of that comp.
MORE: Yankees Working Toward Contract Extensions With Betances, Gregorius
"I think Hicks is better," he told me, based on defense, baserunning and power.
Hicks and his agent, Joe Urbon, had been in talks with the Yankees about this all offseason. They seemed to gain steam after Hicks had his first child, Aaron Jr., last month. Coincidence? Maybe not. But Hicks also seems to like the idea of being in the lineup with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton for the long haul. Stanton and Hicks are -- for the moment -- the only Yankees position players signed beyond 2022.
IF THEY HADN'T LOCKED UP HICKS …
If the Yankees didn't sign Hicks now, it would likely have cost them more if he reached free agency off a good year. And if they didn't want to sign him at all, that leaves very few options on the free agent center field market -- Juan Lagares and Leonys Martin, among others. Estevan Florial is a wonderful prospect but hasn't played above A-ball yet. That would be asking a lot to expect him to be ready, no matter how good a prospect he is right now.
So that would leave the Yankees next best center field option as … Jacoby Ellsbury?
IT'S ALL RELATIVE
Funny how the baseball pay scale works. So many fans I heard from thought it was overpaying Hicks at seven x $10 million. If that same deal were offered to, say, Gleyber Torres or Miguel Andujar, it would be met with greater fan appreciation, but would not be as team friendly because of the relative service time and cost control that the latter two provide. Hicks being a year away from free agency changes the view of that deal in a big way.
DJ MUST WAIT
DJ LeMahieu was set to play third base in a game for the first time since 2014 before Tuesday's rainout against the Tigers. He will have to wait for that until later in the week.
Infield coach Carlos Mendoza said he's been very impressed with LeMahieu's footwork around tthird base bag, especially moving up and back on grounders, which is much different than playing second base. LeMahieu will get some looks at first base later this spring, too.
By the way, I just noticed that it's "DJ" and not "D.J." It's nice to know he's just like CC Sabathia in that way. J.T. Snow and A.J. Burnett were unavailable for comment.
TAPPED FOR GREATNESS
I liked that Aaron Boone dropped a "wants to be great" label on Gleyber Torres. He said the same thing about Luis Severino last year. I think it's interesting when managers and coaches point out a trait like that, because not everyone who is good at this game has that extra level of desire to be great.
NO PULL
I watched Luke Voit take batting practice Tuesday morning and noted that he didn't pull anything, not even into the left-center field gap. He hit a couple that were maybe 10 or 20 feet to the left of center field, but everything else was up the middle or to the opposite field. That's by design, and he pointed out that Aaron Judge is the same way. That's why Yankee Stadium is so friendly to these guys even though they bat right-handed. It helps that they're built like tanks and can drive the ball hard no matter where it goes.
BRITTON'S LEG FEELING STRONGER
Zack Britton seems very excited about his offseason training and subsequent work this spring. Last year, he came back from a ruptured right Achilles in five months when he was told it was more like an eight- to 12-month process. Britton can feel the improved strength in his right leg making a difference in his early bullpen work and is excited to start pitching more like his pre-injury self.
ADAPTING TO PITCH CLOCK
The pitch clock doesn't seem to bother too many people. The only ones that seem to be even slightly bothered by it here are Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ. Both made it sound like they would simply adjust if/when they had to. Neither has pitched in a game with the pitch clock yet this spring. Tanaka was rained out Tuesday. Happ will make his first start Thursday.
COUNTING DOWN
And finally a reminder that Opening Day is March 28. That's just over four weeks away.
Follow Sweeny on Twitter at @YankeesWFAN
