Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz remained in contact with the Boston Red Sox through the weekend’s SoxFest Live activities.
The talks paid off in a trade Sunday, with the White Sox acquiring right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks and pitching prospect David Sandlin, along with cash considerations and two players to be named later from the Red Sox for minor-league pitcher Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later.
“There was a lot of positive energy at the Ramova Theatre (for SoxFest Live), but behind the scenes as well we were getting pretty excited about the potential of acquiring players that could help us as well,” Getz said during a videoconference call on Sunday.
“To be able to bring in Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin, two high-octane arms. To get two arms like that that can help our major-league club this year, it just made a lot of sense and that’s why we went ahead and made the deal.”
Hicks is 17-35 with a 4.41 ERA in 275 career appearances (37 starts) over parts of seven major-league seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (2018-19, 2021-23), Toronto Blue Jays (2023), San Francisco Giants (2024-25) and Red Sox (2025). He has 409 strikeouts and 212 walks in 420 1/3 career innings.
Hicks, 29, also has 35 career saves and 55 holds. He has thrown 1,733 career pitches at 100-plus mph since 2018, the most in the major leagues over that period of time.
“He feels really good this offseason,” Getz said. “He’s been in the upper 90s in his bullpen. Body feels really good. Has that starter capacity built up right now. But remains open-minded in regard to his upcoming role.”
Hicks went a combined 2-7 with a 6.95 ERA and two saves in 34 outings (nine starts) in 2025 for the Giants and Red Sox. He had 58 strikeouts and 32 walks in 67 1/3 innings.
Hicks joined the Red Sox as part of the five-player trade that sent infielder Rafael Devers to the Giants. He was on the injured list from June 3-29 with right great toe inflammation and from Sept. 3 to the end of the season with right shoulder tendinitis.
“I feel like it really put me in a mindset to learn from the experience versus just giving up on myself,” Hicks said of his 2025 during Sunday’s videoconference call. “It really gave me a lot of motivation moving forward and I know for a fact that I’m at my peak athleticism, I think.
“The next few years I’m really excited about. I feel like I’m going into the best version of me. I feel like I can really be that in the next two years for the White Sox.”
Hicks made a career-high 73 appearances working out of the bullpen as a rookie in 2018. The next season, he recorded a career-best 14 saves.
Hicks made a career-high 20 starts in 2024, also reaching career highs in strikeouts (96) and innings pitched (109 2/3).
“My body’s in a great place, probably the best since 2023,” Hicks said. “I think I’m fit for whatever role that the team needs me in.”
Sandlin, a right-hander, was the No. 8 prospect in the Red Sox system in the most recent rankings released by MLB.com. He is 13-12 with a 4.38 ERA in 65 career outings (47 starts) over four minor-league seasons in the Kansas City Royals (2022-23) and Red Sox (2024-25) systems. He has 279 strikeouts in 232 career innings.
“He’s a guy we believe has mid-rotation if not better type arsenal and stuff,” Getz said. “He’s worked his way up to the upper minors and he’s going to come into spring training and compete for a spot. Most importantly, he’s got a chance to really impact our starting rotation this year.”
Sandlin, 24, went a combined 9-6 with a 4.50 ERA in 32 appearances (14 starts) last season between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. He had 107 strikeouts in 106 innings.
“We’ve been targeting Sandlin for some time,” Getz said. “With any conversations with the Red Sox, Sandlin was always brought up from our end. It wasn’t easy for them to part with him, but obviously made sense in this one, considering how it was packaged.
“The chance for six years of control of a starting pitcher is super valuable and a welcome addition to our organization.”
MLB.com ranked Ziehl, 22, as the No. 14 prospect in the White Sox system. The White Sox acquired the right-hander last July in a trade that sent outfielder Austin Slater to the New York Yankees. In six starts for High-A Winston-Salem after the trade, Ziehl went 2-2 with a 4.01 ERA.
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To make room for Hicks and Sandlin on the 40-man roster, the White Sox designated pitcher Jairo Iriarte and catcher Drew Romo for assignment.
Iriarte, who spent most of 2025 at Triple-A Charlotte, was one of the four players acquired as part of the March 2024 trade that sent Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres. The Sox had claimed Romo off waivers from the New York Mets on Jan. 8.
Getz said the conversations with the Red Sox had been going on “for a long time,” with the action heating up over the weekend, leading to the deal.
The roster continues to come into shape as the first workout of spring training for Sox pitchers and catchers on Feb. 10 nears.
“The work never stops,” Getz said. “We’re going to continue to work.”