Chicago White Sox Trade for Jordan Hicks From Boston Red Sox Ahead of 2026 Season
The Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox made a trade on Sunday in what appears to be a salary dump. There are a lot of different angles for this trade, so let’s take a deeper dive into why this move was made and what each side got in return.
Chicago White Sox Trade for Jordan Hicks
The Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a trade on Sunday afternoon, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The White Sox acquired veteran right-hander Jordan Hicks and right-hander prospect David Sandlin. Despite not posting the Red Sox’s acquisition in the original tweet, it was reported that pitcher Gage Ziehl will be heading to Boston as part of this deal. In addition, Boston will be sending $8 million to Chicago as part of offsetting the Hicks contract.
This is a trade that allowed Boston to shed some payroll it acquired from the Rafael Devers trade. Let’s take a closer look at what each team got as part of this trade.
What should we expect from the Chicago White Sox additions?
The Chicago White Sox have had a good offseason, and now get some help in the starting rotation. Hicks is under contract through the 2027 season. He struggled with the Red Sox following the trade, pitching to an 8.20 ERA in 21 games. Hicks can now be a veteran to help the young White Sox pitching staff improve with his experience while looking for a bounce-back season.
Sandlin was the eighth-ranked prospect in the Red Sox system, and pitched between Double-A and Triple-A last year. He made 32 appearances (14 starts) and was 9-6 with a 4.50 ERA in 106.0 innings. There is still some work to be done, but could be a late-season callup option for the White Sox this year.
What should we expect from the Boston Red Sox addition?
The Red Sox received starting pitcher prospect Gage Ziehl in this trade and he had a good first season in the minors. Ziehl was ranked 14th in Chicago’s system. Ziehl finished the season in High-A Winston-Salem and made 21 starts (22 games) for the Dash. In those games, he went 7-6 with a 4.12 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 107.0 innings.
Ziehl has been pitching more to contact, only recording 90 strikeouts. However, he is still pitching to a great walk-to-strikeout ratio with 19 walks. He still has time to polish, but it is a good returning piece for the Red Sox’s future.
