January 15, 2021 4:55 PM : Hicks signed a one-year, $862,500 contract with the Cardinals on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Analysis: Hicks gets a raise in his first year of arbitration eligibility despite the fact that he didn't play at all in 2020. He was already set to miss a portion of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he wound up electing to opt out of the entire campaign, as his status as a Type 1 diabetic meant that playing during a pandemic would be unwise. He's expected to enter the upcoming season fully healthy and retains the huge potential that comes with his record-setting heat, but his injury history makes him something of a risk.