Between the $12 million Hicks was owed in 2026, Hays’ $6 million guarantee in a one-year deal, and the $8 million allocated to Dominguez in the first season of his two-year, $20 million contract, this amounts to a $26 million outlay for the White Sox on this trio for the upcoming season. It’s a pretty good match for the $20 million Chicago committed to Luis Robert Jr. before the outfielder and his contract were dealt to the Mets on January 20.
“With the wage flexibility we gained from this move, we wanted to use that money on players who could help us in the long term as we continue to take the next step. There are several ways to do that,” White Sox GM Chris Getz told reporters (including James Fegan of SoxMachine And Scott Merkin of MLB.com), further noting that “adding a Sandlin is essentially part of Luis Robert’s return.”
That’s an eyebrow-raising comment considering Chicago’s payroll currently stands at a paltry $85.5 million. per RosterResource. To suggest that the Sandlin acquisition was only possible in conjunction with a Robert transaction would imply that the Chicago-based club cannot support a payroll with Robert, Dominguez, Hays and Hicks – but that would have only pushed the payroll to around $105 million. Maybe owner Jerry Reinsdorf really won’t greenlight a payroll above $100 million at this point, but the South Siders haven’t presented an opening day payroll of $181 million until 2023 (and $193 million in 2022). Getz’s claim that Sandlin is indirectly part of Robert’s return is either a case of a serious twist or a startling admission of the severe budget constraints Reinsdorf has put in place.
Regardless, it seems like Sandlin has been on Chicago’s radar for a while, and Getz views the hard-throwing right-hander as someone who “I’m going to Spring Training and competing for a spot” in the team’s rotation. Sandlin has just 23 2/3 Triple-A innings under his belt, and he struggled to a 7.61 ERA during that brief stint at Triple-A Worcester in 2025. Even if he doesn’t make the club’s Opening Day rotation, it’s entirely plausible that he’ll be an option to join the staff later in the season as he gains more experience at the highest minor league level.
In addition to this young arm in Sandlin, Hicks brings some experience to the pitching staff, even though he is a pure rebounding candidate. The righty posted a 6.95 ERA over 67 1/3 innings with the Giants and Red Sox in 2025, with subpar strikeouts (18.5%) and walks (10.2%). Hicks’ 4.41 SIERA wasn’t great either, but is a better reflection of his performance because it took into account some poorly hit ball luck, as the grounder specialist was hurt while averaging a .352 on balls in play.
Health also played a role. Hicks was on the injured list for just under two months, dealing with toe inflammation and then tendonitis in his throwing shoulder. On this front, Hicks told the media that he has recovered well and was able to hit 100.5 mph during a recent bullpen session. “My body is in a great place, probably the best it has been since 2023.” said Hicks. “I am suitable for whatever role the team needs me to play and I think I can perform very well in both [starting and relieving]. Most of all, I’m excited about this opportunity and ready to get back on the field.”
For now, the White Sox plan to use Hicks as relief pitcher, Getz said. This isn’t surprising considering how Hicks struggled as a starter for the Giants and was converted back to relief work midway through each of the past two seasons. Hicks has spent most of his career in the pen and had better results as a reliever than as a starter.
Speaking of relief pitchers, the White Sox discussed another reliever during their negotiations with the Red Sox. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports that the two parties “had serious discussions” about including it Jordan Leisure in the deal before the Red Sox instead went with Ziehl as the named player in the two-player return.
While Ziehl has yet to reach Triple-A, the 27-year-old Leasure has two seasons of MLB experience, appearing in 101 games for Chicago. Leasure made his debut in 2024 and posted a 6.32 ERA over 31 1/3 innings, but improved that mark significantly with a 3.92 ERA and a 30.1% strikeout rate over 64 1/3 frames in 2025. The right-hander’s 11.2% walk rate was still on the high side, but a step above Leasure’s 12.7 BB% in 2024.
There’s no real reason to think Chicago is actively shopping Leisure, but it’s notable that they’ve at least considered it — especially considering the number of clubs around the league looking for affordable bullpen help. Leasure will pitch most of next season at age 27 (28 in mid-August), has a few minor league options remaining and won’t be eligible for arbitration until next offseason, when he’ll likely be a Super Two player.
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