CHICAGO -- The White Sox wanted to acquire Minor League hurler David Sandlin from Boston for his high-level mound upside and his six years of control.
In fact, they had interest in the No. 8 prospect among the Red Sox Top 30 within the team’s latest update for longer than the last few weeks. In the process of consummating that trade Sunday, they also acquired veteran hurler Jordan Hicks in a trade potentially helping them in the present and the future.
It’s the best sort of deal through the continued organization reshaping by general manager Chris Getz. He sent Minor League right-hander Gage Ziehl to Boston and received $8 million in the deal, with Hicks being owed $25 million in total over the next two seasons. The White Sox also obtained two players to be named later, while the Red Sox received one.
TRADE DETAILS
White Sox get: RHP Jordan Hicks, RHP David Sandlin (BOS No. 8 prospect), two PTBN, cash
Red Sox get: RHP Gage Ziehl (CWS No. 14 prospect), PTBN
“To get two arms like that that can help our Major League club this year, it just made a lot of sense and that’s why we went ahead and made the deal,” said Getz during a Sunday evening Zoom following this weekend’s SoxFest Live activities. “When it comes to David Sandlin, he’s a guy we believe has mid-rotation if not better type arsenal and stuff.
"He’s worked his way up to the upper Minors and he’s going to come into Spring Training and compete for a spot. Most importantly, he’s got a chance to really impact our starting rotation this year.”
This impact from Sandlin, 24, most likely will come later during the 2026 season. The right-hander finished 9-6 with 4.50 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 32 games (14 starts) with Double-A Portland and Triple-Worcester in ‘25, with 14 of his 15 appearances coming in relief for Worcester after his promotion on July 29.
Hicks’ role is to be determined, as he is stretched out to start but could have a greater relief impact, with White Sox pitchers and catchers reporting to Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 10. The hard-throwing right-hander produced a 6.95 ERA over 34 appearances with the Giants and Red Sox last season, moving to Boston as part of the four-player return for Rafael Devers. Hicks worked solely as a reliever for the Red Sox, a role in which he had some success in the past, after starting 29 of 42 games for the Giants since ‘24.
Right shoulder tendinitis and a toe injury slowed Hicks in ‘25. But he has elite stuff when on his game, as evidenced by 1,733 pitches overall in his career at 100 mph or faster and 53 in ‘25, according to Statcast. Despite his rough ‘25 moments, Hicks ranked in the 92nd percentile for fastball velocity (97.5 mph) and consistently generated ground balls, with his 56.7% rate in the 95th percentile.
Through his offseason work at PUSH Performance and Next Era physical therapy in Arizona, Hicks is presently feeling outstanding. He hit 99.5 mph during a Friday bullpen, sitting at 96-97 the whole time, and didn’t get sore the next day.
"That’s telling me that my body’s in a good place,” said Hicks on a Sunday Zoom. “It’s recovering well, it’s moving better than I ever have. That’s just a credit to the work I put in with the guys at PUSH and Next Era, and I’m excited to continue that program overall.”
"Our stuff grades, both metrically and our scouting evaluations, are still really strong,” Getz said of Hicks. “There’s likely some tweaking that can go with his arsenal … It sounds like it’s in a really good spot … We think he’s a guy that is not too far off from being the guy he once was.”
Money saved from the $22 million going with center fielder Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets was repurposed in this deal. To take things a step further, Getz turned outfielder Austin Slater’s 51 games with the White Sox in ‘25 into Sandlin and Hicks, with Slater being traded for Ziehl, 22, before the Trade Deadline last July.
Although they are not exactly in prime contending mode, the White Sox have had an interesting and active offseason, during which they have added depth to their rotation and improved their bullpen. Hicks joins Seranthony Domínguez and possibly Sean Newcomb and Chris Murphy as potential new relief additions.
“At its floor, we have a guy who can really help us in the bullpen, get him back on track, being that he’s been kind of back and forth on different roles, a couple of different stops along the way,” said Getz of Hicks. “I think the White Sox are at the best if he’s at his best in the bullpen.”
“I’m just really excited about feeling good and my mental’s strong,” Hicks said. “I feel like I’m in a really good place.”