A busy Red Sox offseason continued on Saturday with the acquisition of right-handed pitching prospect Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later from the White Sox in exchange for right-hander Jordan Hicks, right-handed prospect David Sandlin and two players to be named.
The swap carries a financial component, as the Red Sox agreed to pay $8 million of the remaining $25 million on Hicks’ contract, a source confirmed to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. That could address Boston’s concerns about remaining under the second luxury tax threshold.
Ziehl, 22, will be joining his third organization in less than a year. Selected in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Yankees, he was dealt to Chicago on July 30 last season as part of the trade that sent outfielder Austin Slater to New York.
In his first full professional season, Ziehl spent most of his time with Low-A Tampa, going 4-4 with a 4.00 ERA in 14 starts. Overall, he finished 7-6 with a 4.12 ERA across 22 games (21 starts) with four Minor League clubs, striking out 90 and walking 19 in 107 innings while allowing 116 hits. He was ranked as the White Sox’s No. 14 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
It represents a pitching nod to the future for the Red Sox, who have addressed their Major League roster in recent weeks by adding free agent left-hander Ranger Suarez and trading for right-handers Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo.
Hicks departs Boston less than a year after arriving. The Red Sox picked him up in the Rafael Devers trade last June, when Hicks was on the injured list with right great toe inflammation.
His stint with Boston was uneven, as he pitched to an 8.20 ERA in 21 relief appearances and later went on the IL with right shoulder tendinitis. Overall, Hicks recorded a 6.95 ERA across 67 1/3 innings for San Francisco and Boston last year.
Sandlin, 24, was one of Boston’s higher-ranked pitching prospects, checking in at No. 8 on MLB Pipeline’s list for the team. He made 32 appearances (14 starts) at Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester in 2025, finishing with a 9-6 record and 4.50 ERA with 107 strikeouts over 106 innings.