The Los Angeles Angels signed veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks to a one-year contract on Monday, adding him to a roster that includes Mike Trout, Taylor Ward Ward, Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell.

Hicks remains on the seven-year, $70 million contract he originally signed with the New York Yankees through the 2025 season. The deal will pay Hicks $9.5 million in 2024 and $9.5 million in 2025 and includes a $1 million buyout of the 2026 club option. The Yankees are still responsible for all of that, minus the major-league minimum $740,000 the Angels will pay him in 2024.

The 34-year-old Hicks was released by the Yankees after slashing just .188/.263/.261 through the first two months of the 2023 season, but his numbers improved significantly after joining the division-rival Baltimore Orioles. The scoreline jumped to 0.275/. 381/.425 in 65 games remaining. Hicks’ best run came from 2017 to 2020, during which he posted an .819 OPS in 338 games while amassing 60 home runs and 8.7 FanGraphs wins.

Hicks is a switch-hitter who primarily plays center field, but he also has experience in both corners. His addition could open a path for the Angels to use other outfielders to acquire starting pitchers or impact bats via trade, but he also serves as a key depth role given the questions surrounding Adell’s development.

Hicks’ presence is not expected to prompt Trout to leave center field.

“Mike is our center fielder,” Angels general manager Perry Minassian said during a video conference with local reporters. “We’ve learned this over the last few years, at least since I’ve been here – you need guys who can play multiple positions. You don’t know what’s going to happen. He’s a guy who plays center; Playing center in some situations last year, Baltimore was obviously a very good team going into the playoffs. He can play right, he can play left, he can really throw the ball, so he’s a guy who can People who help us in so many different ways.”