It is a solid business for an organization with sufficient wage flexibility. Even after adding Hicks, Austin HaysAnd Seranthony Dominguezthe White Sox project to have the fourth lowest payroll in the league. FanGraphs’ RosterResource tool has the club at $86 million, right in line with the $85 million it spent last season.
So where does that leave Hicks? He struggled last season with the Giants and was even worse when he came to the Red Sox as part of the Rafael Devers trade. The starter experience with San Francisco in early 2024 went well, but has seemed like an ill-advised path since then. Hicks is now two years and three franchises removed from being a dominant reliever. He joins a Chicago roster short on talent and experience in the bullpen.
Hicks made his debut with the Cardinals in 2018. He quickly gained fame with a 100mph sinker that generated as many cool GIFs as broken bats. Utilizing the field was an issue, as Hicks posted a blown 13.3% walk rate in his first MLB stint. He opened the 2019 season as the primary closer, but a UCL tear ended his season in June. The injury would be the start of a long journey, marred by health problems. Hicks missed time over the next four years with elbow, forearm, neck and arm fatigue issues.
St. Louis got a healthy first half from Hicks in 2023 and took the opportunity to bring him to Toronto. He was solid with the Blue Jays, mainly rooting for the incumbent closer Jordan Romano. Hicks got a decent four-year, $44 million deal from the Giants this offseason. He earned a spot in the rotation and the transition went smoothly at first. Hicks allowed two earned runs or fewer in his first seven starts with San Francisco. He expanded the use of his secondary components and returned his speed to a more sustainable level.
Hicks dropped after a solid first month as a starter. His fastball steadily lost ticks as the innings piled up. After allowing 12 runs in 13 innings to open July, Hicks was booted from the rotation. He got another chance as a starter last season, but things went even worse. Hicks was strictly a reliever when he joined the Red Sox.
From the results of the last two years, it seems pretty clear that Hicks’ only path to major league viability is as a reliever. That’s where Chicago’s front office ended up after they brought him in.
“On the floor we have a guy who can really help us in the bullpen, get him back on track as he’s been kind of back and forth in different roles, a few different stops along the way,” general manager Chris Getz told reporters, among other things Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “I think the White Sox are there [their] best when he is at his best in the bullpen.”
The run prevention results were poor (8.20 ERA), but Hicks posted a strong 111 Stuff+ in 18 2/3 innings out of the Boston bullpen. His sinker and slider were 115 and 117, respectively. Hicks’ four-sieve and splitter scored poorly, although he didn’t use them often.
Chicago has gone three straight seasons without a reliever reaching double-digit saves. Liam Hendriks was the last to do so, with 37 in 2022. Jordan Leisure made seven saves for the team in 2025. Grant Taylor And Mike Vasil combined to close 10 games. Leasure, Taylor and Vasil should remain in the late inning mix. Dominguez will likely move closer to the start of the year, but he is a candidate to be moved at the trade deadline if he performs well.
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