Pitchers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin are swapping the colour of their footwear.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan has reported that the Pink Sox are delivery the pair of righties to the Chicago White Sox.
In return, Boston shall be getting one other younger pitching prospect: right-hander Gage Ziehl, a product of the College of Miami (the Florida one, not the Ohio one). The Pink Sox may even reportedly be sending $8 million alongside to the South Aspect of Chicago so as to pay a few of Hicks’ wage—he’s set to make $12.5 million in each 2026 and 2027, per Spotrac.
First issues first: Jordan Hicks is now not a member of the Boston Pink Sox—hit the music.
Of the entire pitchers who’ve ever worn a Pink Sox uniform, Hicks was undoubtedly certainly one of them. Coming over from San Francisco over the summer season in a commerce that concerned some participant I can’t keep in mind, Hicks had beforehand been a man who had proven some sick stuff—if maybe not constant stuff—all through his main league profession.
Alas, issues simply by no means actually jived for him in Boston. Throughout 18.2 innings in 21 outings, Hicks logged a…(makes positive I’m not studying this incorrect)…Jesus Christ, 8.20 ERA, 1.98 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 51. He walked too many guys, he didn’t strike out sufficient guys to justify the free passes, and his outings have been persistently depressing to look at. I hope, for his personal sake, that he will get again heading in the right direction with the Pale Hose, however one other 12 months (or two) of Hicks was not going to be good for anybody’s blood stress in Pink Sox Nation.
This transfer is a wage dump for Boston, clearly. It sucks to maneuver off of Sandlin to execute that wage dump—the one-time Pod On Lansdowne guest has some promise, and maybe he’ll get a shot to appreciate that potential with Chicago—however eight figures off the books is nothing to sneeze at.
Plus, the Pink Sox’s organizational depth inside the pitching workers is stable. Whereas Sandlin’s departure could sting, Boston now has a bit extra flexibility because of the dumped wage and the additional 40-man roster house. Go get that infielder, Craig.
After all, this isn’t the primary time we’ve talked about shifting off of wage through a commerce involving Jordan Hicks. Rafael Devers’ commerce was broadly seen as a wage dump, and we are actually dumping a part of the wage for a man concerned within the first wage dump. It’s Dumpception.
Outdoors of that money-specific side, the return for Devers now appears…………………….fascinating, to place it charitably. It’s Kyle Harrison, Jose Bello, this Ziehl fella (extra on him in a second), and the temporary companies of Hicks and Dustin Could—neither of whome have been fruitful on the bump in 2025. Nevertheless, I feel this reveals that Breslow and Co. are conscious of the Sunk Price Fallacy. They’re prepared to chop their losses with Hicks and transfer on. That’s most likely the clever factor to do, however it’s unimaginable to not elevate the purpose about Devers when having this dialogue.
As for Gage Ziehl, the 22-year-old pitcher becoming a member of the Pink Sox group: I’m not acquainted with his sport, however my fast skim on Twitter reveals that he tasks to be a man with stable command despite an absence of powerhouse stuff. I’m positive certainly one of my OTM colleagues who’re smarter than I (so, all of them) will have the ability to take a deeper dive on him.
Perhaps that floor ball fee speaks to the group’s want to construct a robust defensive spine? I dunno, simply one thing to contemplate.
Within the meantime, prepare for the Jordan Hicks tribute video. I’m positive there received’t be a dry eye at Fenway when the day comes.
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