The Boston Red Sox have brought Jordan Hicks’ short-lived stint with the club to an end, completing a financially driven trade with the Chicago White Sox that prioritizes payroll flexibility over on-field return.
On Sunday, Boston finalized a multi-player deal that sends right-handed pitchers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin to Chicago, along with $8 million in cash. In exchange, the Red Sox receive right-handed pitching prospect Gage Ziehl. Both teams also agreed to exchange players to be named later, ultimately making the transaction a six-player deal overall. The trade was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan and later confirmed by both organizations.
The primary motivation behind the move was salary relief. After recently committing significant money to additions such as Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, and Ranger Suárez, the Red Sox were eager to reduce the financial burden of Hicks’ contract. Hicks’ deal—originally signed with the Giants in January 2024—carried a $12 million competitive balance tax (CBT) hit in each of the next two seasons. By shifting most of that obligation to Chicago, Boston will now only be responsible for $4 million per year, while the White Sox absorb $8 million annually. In real-dollar terms, Hicks is owed $12.5 million in each of the next two seasons, with Chicago paying the bulk of that amount.
To facilitate the salary dump, Boston had to include Sandlin, a promising pitching prospect who had just been added to the 40-man roster earlier in the offseason. In return, the Red Sox took on Ziehl, who was recently ranked as the No. 21 prospect in the White Sox system by Baseball America. An added benefit for Boston is that the trade opens up two spots on the 40-man roster, providing greater flexibility for future moves.
Hicks originally arrived in Boston as part of the blockbuster June trade that sent Rafael Devers to the Giants, but his time with the Red Sox was rough. The 29-year-old struggled badly, posting an 8.20 ERA across 18⅔ innings in 21 appearances. He also issued 12 walks and surrendered three home runs before being shut down in early September due to a shoulder injury. Had he remained with the club, Hicks would have entered spring training competing for a bullpen role.
With this trade, Boston has now moved two of the four players it received in the Devers deal—Hicks and outfielder James Tibbs III, the latter having been sent to the Dodgers at the trade deadline in exchange for Dustin May. Pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jose Bello are the only remaining pieces from that original return still in the organization.
Sources indicated that Boston and Chicago explored multiple trade structures, including scenarios where the Red Sox would retain more of Hicks’ contract in exchange for a more immediate big-league contributor, such as reliever Jordan Leasure. Ultimately, Boston chose to include Sandlin and cash instead, opting for Ziehl, a lower-level prospect who finished last season in High-A.
Sandlin, who turns 25 later this month, has steadily climbed prospect rankings since being acquired from the Royals two years ago in a trade for reliever John Schreiber. He was recently ranked 11th in Boston’s farm system by Baseball America. The White Sox have long admired his potential and viewed absorbing part of Hicks’ contract as a worthwhile price to secure him. Sandlin reached Triple-A for the first time last season but struggled after being moved to the bullpen, finishing with a 4.50 ERA across 106 innings split between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. He is widely seen as a possible major league debut candidate in 2026.
Ziehl, meanwhile, is just 22 and has already been traded twice in less than a year. Originally drafted by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2024 draft, he was dealt to Chicago at the deadline for outfielder Austin Slater. A University of Miami product, Ziehl signed for an above-slot bonus and impressed in his professional debut, recording a 4.12 ERA over 107 innings across three minor-league levels, including a brief Double-A appearance.
From Boston’s perspective, shedding Hicks’ salary—while not ideal for a large-market franchise—helps stabilize the roster heading into spring training. Following Suárez’s five-year, $130 million deal, the Red Sox’ CBT payroll was estimated at around $269 million, exceeding the first two tax thresholds. After this trade, that figure drops to roughly $261 million, placing the team below the second CBT threshold of $264 million.
Even so, Boston’s offseason work is not finished. With needs remaining at second and third base—and top prospect Marcelo Mayer a possible option—the Red Sox are still exploring infield upgrades via trade or free agency. Additional salary relief could also come through potential trades involving higher-paid players such as Masataka Yoshida or Patrick Sandoval, neither of whom currently has a clearly defined role on the roster.
