The Chicago White Sox added veteran right-hander Jordan Hicks and 24-year-old pitching prospect David Sandlin in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, a deal that blends immediate bullpen depth with long-term upside. The swap sends White Sox righty prospect Gage Ziehl to Boston and includes players to be named later and cash considerations, according to multiple reports.
Hicks, 29, arrives as a high-leverage arm with starting experience and a sizable contract. ESPN reported Hicks “is owed $25 million on the last two seasons of a four-year, $44 million deal,” and that Chicago agreed to pay $17 million of that total because of Sandlin’s inclusion. Other outlets differ slightly on the math; MLB Trade Rumors cited The Athletic reporting that Boston will send $8 million cash to Chicago and that Hicks has roughly $24 million remaining. The White Sox view Hicks as a bullpen piece. Chris Getz said, “I think the White Sox are at their best if [Hicks] is at his best in the bullpen,” and added, “We wanted to utilize that money toward players that can help us for the long term,” framing the financial strategy behind the move.
Sandlin is the trade’s developmental prize. MLB.com listed David Sandlin as Boston’s No. 8 prospect and praised his “high-level mound upside and his six years of control.” Scouting and minor-league numbers show a mixed but intriguing profile: Southsidesox reports Sandlin was drafted out of the University of Oklahoma in 2022, posted a 3.51 ERA across Low-A and High-A in 2023, followed with a 5.34 ERA in 57 1/3 innings in 2024, and maintained a 33.2 percent strikeout rate with a 7.3 percent walk rate across 2023–24. Sandlin spent parts of 2025 at Double-A Portland, and Chicago is betting the strikeout ability and years of team control will pay dividends.
Gage Ziehl, a 22-year-old righty the White Sox had acquired at the 2025 trade deadline, heads to Boston as the principal return. Reports identify Ziehl as Chicago’s No. 14 prospect, while local rankings vary. The transaction also includes two players to be named later to Chicago and one to Boston, per MLB.com and ESPN.
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The trade has immediate roster consequences. The White Sox designated right-hander Jairo Iriarte and catcher Drew Romo for assignment to open 40-man spots for Hicks and Sandlin; additional roster moves will be required once the Austin Hays signing is finalized. The trade comes in the wake of Chicago reallocating salary after moving Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets, with team leaders signaling a shift from clearing payroll to buying targeted pitching assets.
For fans and Triple-A followers, the key takeaways are clear: Hicks gives the big league staff a veteran arm capable of late-inning work or spot starts, while Sandlin represents a controllable farm-system asset with swing-for-the-fences strikeout upside. The White Sox have shuffled dollars and roster slots to raise their pitching ceiling; the next steps are confirmation of the cash split, the identities of the PTBN players, and how Hicks and Sandlin perform in Spring Training and at Triple-A. Those outcomes will determine whether this trade is remembered for immediate bullpen stability or for a prospect who helps anchor Chicago’s rotation in future seasons.