Jordan

Hicks

Hicks returns to Chicago’s relief corps for Sunday’s series finale against the Tigers following a one-month absence recovering from a lat strain. The hard-throwing 29-year-old was one of the worst relief pitchers in baseball between the Giants and Red Sox last year when he posted an abysmal 6.95 ERA across 67 1/3 innings of work. He’s been marginally better in his White Sox debut with a pedestrian 5.60 ERA over 17 2/3 innings.

Hicks has a 5.60 ERA across 17 2/3 innings for the White Sox, so the team will likely not rush him back. He will continue to fill a role in the middle innings when he does return.

Hicks has been marginally better this season, posting a 5.60 ERA across 17 2/3 innings after logging an abysmal 6.95 ERA over 67 1/3 innings between the Red Sox and Giants last year.

Technically, it goes down as a save since Hicks came on to record the final out of the eighth inning with the potential tying run in the on-deck circle after Sean Newcomb loaded the bases with Chicago leading 9-4 at the time. The 29-year-old is highly unlikely to be pitching in a ton of high-leverage spots this season unless the White Sox are interested in boosting his hypothetical trade value.

Grant Taylor should be the White Sox’s best reliever, but if closer Seranthony Domínguez falters, the team might initially turn to Hicks in the ninth. His stuff has rebounded this spring and 17 of the 24 balls in play against him have been grounders. The White Sox already did well to get David Sandlin in return for taking part of his contract off Boston’s hands. It’ll work out even better for them if they can flip him for another prospect in July.

As reported earlier, Hicks will head to the White Sox in a salary dump by the Red Sox. The Red Sox are reportedly sending $8 million to the White Sox in the deal, meaning that the White Sox will take on around $16 million that’s still owed to Hicks over the next two seasons. The 29-year-old hurler has struggled through injury and ineffectiveness over the past two seasons, but when he’s right, he has proven to be a capable high-leverage bullpen arm. He’s likely to function in a setup role in front of new closer Seranthony Dominguez.

It’s a salary dump more than anything else for the Red Sox. Hicks is owed $25 million over the next two seasons and they’ll send the White Sox $8 million to help pay that down. They’ll also send them pitching prospect David Sandlin. Ziehl, 22, was acquired by the White Sox from the Yankees at last season’s trade deadline in exchange for Austin Slater. He posted a 4.12 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and a 90/19 K/BB ratio over 107 innings across three minor league levels in 2025.

The White Sox will also receive pitching prospect David Sandlin in the trade. No word yet on what’s going back to the Red Sox, but it seems like more of a salary dump on their part than anything else as Hicks is owed $25 million over the next two seasons. The 29-year-old pitcher should find high leverage work at the back end of the White Sox’ bullpen in front of closer Seranthony Dominguez. Hicks posted a 6.95 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and a 58/32 K/BB ratio over 67 1/3 innings between the Giants and Red Sox in 2025.

The Red Sox have yet to give a timeline on how long they expect the hard-throwing right-hander to be sidelined for. He’ll miss a couple of weeks at an absolute minimum. Chris Murphy was recalled from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move to take his place in the team’s bullpen on Friday.

Chris Murphy is set to replace him in the Boston bullpen. Hicks gave up four runs while getting just one out last night against the Guardians. He has an 8.20 ERA in 21 appearances for the Red Sox.