White Sox continue to add to roster in trade with Red Sox

The Chicago White Sox continued adding to the major league roster in a trade with the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the White Sox acquired pitcher Jordan Hicks and pitching prospect David Sandlin from the Red Sox. James Fegan from SoxMachine reported that pitching prospect Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later will be heading to Boston. Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that the Red Sox will send $8M to Chicago as part of the deal as well.

The Giants had originally signed Hicks to a four-year, $44M contract during the 2023-24 offseason with the idea of converting him into a starting pitcher. While he had a respectable 2024 campaign between the rotation and bullpen, he completely fell apart in 2025. Hicks was traded to Boston as part of the return for first baseman Rafael Devers and could have been regarded as a change of scenery option. Instead, he continued to struggle, resulting in a 6.95 ERA and a 1.663 WHiP in his 67.1 innings between the Giants and Red Sox, striking out 58 batters with 32 walks.

White Sox receive interesting rebound candidate in trade with Red Sox

There is reason to believe that Hicks could rebound in Chicago. His ERA and WHiP were inflated by a .359 batting average on balls in play. Likewise, his 55.3% ground ball rate and 4.35 FIP indicate that his struggles could be a matter of bad luck.

Sandlin, the Red Sox eighth-best prospect per MLB.com, was included in what can be regarded as a salary dump. His fastball is considered a plus offering, sitting in the mid 90s and can touch triple digits, while his slider and splitter flash plus. He has battled injuries and struggled in his first look at Triple-A, but could be a solid second or third starter if he stays healthy and improves his command. Otherwise, Sandlin could be a weapon in the bullpen.

In exchange, the Red Sox received the White Sox's 14th-best prospect per MLB.com. Ziehl has a solid three-pitch mix that he throws from a high three-quarters arm slot. His sweeper is his best offering, a mid 80s pitch that flashes plus. He also throws a low 90s fastball with some run and a changeup with strong sinking action that he has struggled to command. If he can harness his arsenal, Ziehl could be an option in the Red Sox rotation by the end of 2027.