The Boston Red Sox have traded right-hander Jordan Hicks and prospect David Sandlin, along with cash and two players to be named, to the Chicago White Sox for pitching prospect Gage Ziehl and a player to be named. The deal, announced on Sunday, includes Boston sending $8 million toward Hicks' $25 million contract over the next two seasons. This move allows the Red Sox to shed salary while acquiring young talent, amid an active offseason for both teams.
The trade between the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox, finalized on Sunday, February 1, 2026, marks another chapter in both teams' busy offseasons. Chicago acquires 29-year-old right-hander Jordan Hicks, who struggled last season with a 6.95 ERA over 34 appearances split between the San Francisco Giants and Red Sox. In Boston, where he arrived as part of the June 2025 Rafael Devers trade to the Giants, Hicks posted an 8.20 ERA in 21 relief outings before landing on the injured list with right shoulder tendinitis. Despite his recent challenges, Hicks brings high-velocity relief experience, having made 238 career relief appearances against 37 starts, with a career ERA+ of 91.
Joining Hicks in Chicago is 24-year-old right-hander David Sandlin, Boston's No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline. Sandlin, acquired by the Red Sox in a February 2024 trade from the Kansas City Royals, recorded a 4.50 ERA in 32 appearances (14 starts) across Double-A and Triple-A in 2025, striking out 107 in 106 innings. He now ranks as Chicago's No. 14 prospect. The White Sox also receive two players to be named and $8 million from Boston, offsetting part of Hicks' $12.5 million annual salary through 2027. This financial flexibility stems partly from Chicago's January trade of Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets, which freed up $22 million.
In return, Boston gains 22-year-old right-hander Gage Ziehl, Chicago's No. 14 prospect, who enters the Red Sox system at No. 20. Drafted in the fourth round by the New York Yankees in 2024 out of the University of Miami, Ziehl was traded to Chicago in July 2025 for outfielder Austin Slater. In his first full minor league season, he went 7-6 with a 4.12 ERA in 22 games (21 starts) across three levels, fanning 90 while walking 19 in 107 innings.
For the Red Sox, still navigating payroll constraints below the second luxury tax threshold, the deal sheds salary after recent additions like Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray, and Johan Oviedo. Chicago, coming off three straight 100-loss seasons including a record 121 defeats in 2024, bolsters its bullpen with Hicks alongside new signee Seranthony Domínguez, while investing in prospects like Sandlin for future contention.
