He was released on June 4, 2008, after changes in federal drug laws, and is sometimes cited as an example of the results of mandatory maximum sentencing in drug-related crimes.
He began the 1977 season at the Angels Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City where he hit 14 home runs and with a strong .336. batting average.
The Angels traded Aikens and Rance Mulliniks to the Kansas City Royals for Al Cowens and Todd Cruz at the Winter Meetings on December 6, 1979,[4] with Craig Eaton being sent to California to complete the transaction four months later on April 1, 1980.
Aikens inherited the first base job upon his arrival in Kansas City despite not being a very good fielder (he committed a league-leading 12 errors in 1980).
The Royals won their division by 14 games to face the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series for the third time in four years.
Toward the end of the 1983 season, Aikens and several of his Royals teammates were questioned by U.S. attorney Jim Marquez in connection with a federal cocaine probe.
[citation needed] Shortly after Aikens' November 17 sentencing, the Royals traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays for designated hitter Jorge Orta.
[citation needed] The Blue Jays released Aikens a month into the 1985 season, and re-signed him to a minor league contract.
He played four games for the New York Mets' AAA affiliate, the Tidewater Tides in 1986 before heading to Mexico to join the Mexican Pacific League's Yaquis de Obregón.
[12] Aikens also played winter baseball in the Mexican Pacific League, doing so with the Yaquis and the Venados de Mazatlán from 1986 to 1989.
[13][14][15] Aikens was called to testify in the Pittsburgh drug trials of Curtis Strong as his major league career was winding down.
His legal problems continued after his retirement, culminating in his being found guilty of selling 50 grams (1.8 oz) of crack cocaine to an undercover police officer and sentenced to 20 years and eight months in prison in 1994.
Supposedly, a former lover tipped off the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department that Aikens was selling narcotics at his home.
On December 8, 1993, an undercover police officer named Ginger Locke approached Aikens standing in the garage of his condominium and asked for directions.
[citation needed] Later that day, Locke drove to Aikens' home and asked him if she could buy an "eight ball", an eighth of an ounce of cocaine.
[23] On February 1, 2011, the Royals announced that they had hired Aikens as a minor league coach who will be based at the franchise's complex at Surprise, Arizona.