The Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox traded pitching prospects, and Chicago also acquired veteran right-hander Jordan Hicks in a trade announced Sunday afternoon.
In addition to Hicks, Chicago received right-hander David Sandlin, cash and two players to be announced. The Red Sox added right-hander Gage Ziehl and one player to be announced.
The Red Sox will reportedly pay $8 million of the $25 million owed to Hicks over the next two seasons as a condition of the trade.
Hicks, 29, spent his first five major league seasons (2018-19, 2021-23) with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals’ 2015 third-round draft pick was a key player in their bullpen his first two years, recording 24 saves in 2018 and 14 saves with a 3.14 ERA and 0.94 WHIP the following year.
Hicks, who has type 1 diabetes, did not pitch in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2021, he developed inflammation in his throwing shoulder and was sidelined for the rest of the season.
The Houston native was traded to Toronto on July 30, 2023 and recorded four saves down the stretch.
The free agent signed a four-year, $44 million contract with the San Francisco Giants in January 2024. He started 29 games in 42 appearances, but struggled with a 6.47 ERA in 2025 and was one of four players traded to Boston for Rafael Devers in June.
In his career, Hicks has appeared in 275 games, with a 17-35 record and a 4.41 ERA. Additionally, he has 409 strikeouts in 420 1/3 innings of work.
Sandlin, 24, split time between Class AA Boston Portland and Class AAA Worcester in 2025. The Oklahoma native, who pitched for the Sooners in college, was primarily used as a starter in Portland and a reliever in Worcester.
Sandlin was selected in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB draft by Kansas City and has a 4.69 ERA and a 13-12 record in 232 minor league innings.
Ziehl, 22, heads to Boston after spending the final two months of the season at Chicago’s High-A affiliate in Winston-Salem.
The Macedon, New York, native went 2-2 with a 4.01 ERA in six starts last season following the trade. Ziehl was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 draft by the New York Yankees.
–Field level media
