Red Sox Reportedly Trade Two Pitchers To White Sox

According to ESPN’s MLB insider Jeff Passan and other sources, the Boston Red Sox are trading pitchers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin to the Chicago White Sox.

The Red Sox are also sending along $8 million in the deal, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, and they are getting back right-hander Gage Ziehl.

Hicks endured a challenging 2025 campaign, splitting time between the San Francisco Giants and Red Sox. He began the year in the Giants’ rotation but posted a 1-5 record with a 6.47 ERA across 13 appearances, including nine starts, before shifting to the bullpen in May due to inconsistent performances and shoulder issues.

After coming to the Red Sox in the Rafael Devers deal, he appeared in additional relief roles, finishing the year with a combined 2-7 record, 6.95 ERA, and 58 strikeouts over 67.1 innings in 34 games. Despite the struggles, he notched two saves and showed flashes of his trademark velocity.

Over his seven-year MLB career, Hicks has compiled a 17-35 record with a 4.41 ERA across 275 appearances, including 37 starts. Debuting with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018 as a hard-throwing reliever, he transitioned to starting duties with the Giants in 2024, where he went 4-7 with a 4.10 ERA. Known for triple-digit fastballs early on, injuries and role changes have marked his journey through stints with the Toronto Blue Jays and now Boston.

Sandlin, a Red Sox prospect, impressed in Double-A Portland during 2025, going 5-4 with a 3.61 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 82.1 innings. Promoted to Triple-A Worcester in late July, he faltered with a 7.61 ERA over 15 outings but still earned a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster in November. Overall, he finished 9-6 with a 4.50 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 106 innings.

Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2022’s 11th round, Sandlin was traded to Boston in 2024. Across four minor-league seasons, he holds a 22-18 record with a 4.42 ERA, emerging as a promising right-hander with a fastball reaching 98 mph and a solid slider.

Ziehl, in his first full professional season, split the 2025 campaign between the Yankees and White Sox organizations. Starting with Single-A Tampa, he went 4-4 with a 4.00 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. Traded to Chicago on July 30 for outfielder Austin Slater, he adapted well at High-A Winston-Salem, posting a 2-2 record and 4.01 ERA in six starts. Combined, he ended 7-6 with a 4.12 ERA, 90 strikeouts, and a 1.26 WHIP over 107 innings.

Selected by New York in the 2024 draft’s fourth round out of Miami, Ziehl has quickly shown command of his three-pitch mix, projecting as a back-end starter with strong strike-throwing ability.