MLB rumors: Red Sox trade one of baseball’s hardest-throwing pitchers to Chicago

The 2025-26 Major League Baseball offseason is ongoing, and with spring training coming into view we’re working our even deeper into the sport’s offseason calendar. With a few notable-name free agents and trade candidates still on the board even at this increasingly late hour, there’s a daily supply of rumors. Speaking of which, you can find Sunday’s roundup just below. 

White Sox acquire Hicks from Boston

The Boston Red Sox have traded right-hander Jordan Hicks and right-handed pitching prospect David Sandlin to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Gage Ziehl and a player to be named, ESPN and MassLive.com report. 

Hicks, 29, is one of the hardest throwers in baseball, and he has experience as both a reliever and a starting pitcher. Last season, he pitched to a 6.95 ERA and an FIP of 4.35 in a combined 67 ⅓ innings for the Red Sox and Giants. For his career, he has an ERA+ of 91 across parts of seven MLB seasons. Over that span, Hicks has made 37 starts and 238 relief appearances. He’s under contract through the 2027 season and is owed $12.5 million for each of the next two seasons. The White Sox will be picking up the majority of Hicks’ remaining commitment. 

As for Sandlin, he turns 25 on Feb. 21, and he’s a former 11th-rounder out of the University of Oklahoma. He was originally drafted by the Royals. Sandlin has a 4.38 ERA in four minor league seasons — 47 starts and 18 relief appearances — with 279 strikeouts in 232 innings as a pro. He reached the Triple-A level in 2025. 

The 22-year-old Ziehl, a fourth-rounder in 2024 out of the University of Miami, has an ERA of 4.12 and a K/BB ratio of 4.74 in his lone minor league season. He made 22 starts and one relief appearance.