The Red Sox seemingly have enough pitching depth to consider trading some. Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports that Patrick Sandoval, Brayan Bello and Jordan Hicks have been discussed in trade talks. Reporting back in December indicated that both Bello and Sandoval were garnering interest from other clubs.
It isn’t specified which party brought up Hicks in these trade talks but presumably the Sox have been trying to shop him, as opposed to other teams trying especially hard to acquire him. He has some good major league results on his track record but hasn’t been effective lately and his contract is not favorable.
Two years ago, the Giants signed him to a four-year, $44MM deal, hoping to convert him from the bullpen to the rotation. That experiment went well initially before Hicks seemingly ran out of gas. He posted a 1.59 earned run average through the end of April, but then had a 3.99 ERA in May, 5.24 in June and 8.40 in July.
He was moved back to the bullpen later in the year and also spent some time on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation. He didn’t get things on track in 2025. He was eventually included in the Rafael Devers trade as financial ballast and finished the season with a 6.95 ERA between the two clubs.
Prior to signing that deal, Hicks had some decent results out of the St. Louis bullpen, riding his triple-digit velocity to a groundball-heavy approach. At the end of the 2023 season, he had a career ERA of 3.85. His 12.8% walk rate was high but he struck out 24.5% of batters faced and induced grounders on 60.4% of balls in play. Some teams probably have interest in him as a bounceback candidate but he is still owed $24MM over the next two years, so Boston would have to pay down most of that in order to line up a deal.
The commonality with Sandoval, Bello and Hicks as that they’re all making decent money, with Bello still owed $50.5MM through 2029, including the $1MM buyout on a 2030 club option. Sandoval will make $12.75MM in 2026.
RosterResource currently projects the Sox for a payroll of $197MM and a competitive balance tax figure of $266MM. They finished 2025 with a pure payroll of $209MM and a $247MM CBT calculation. If they are willing to spend to last year’s levels, the pure payroll has some wiggle room but perhaps the upcoming higher tax budget eats up some of that difference.
Trading one of these contracts could create some extra payroll room. The Sox could use a second base upgrade, though free agency doesn’t really have any amazing solutions remaining. Guys like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ramón Urías are out there but arguably don’t provide a huge upgrade over Boston’s current group of Romy González, Nick Sogard and David Hamilton. The Sox are also looking for catching upgrades and presumably want to add another reliever or two while leaving some wiggle room for in-season maneuvering.
Photo courtesy of Eric Canha, Imagn Images
I have a hard time believing any team actually wants him…
Yeah, I’m picturing Breslow talking to himself in the mirror. I suppose that would count.
Boston would have to attach a prospect to get rid of him. Pure salary dump trade.
No team wants his contract. He’s likely going to get released.
If the Sox pay nearly all of it, why not. Great arm. Maybe a light goes on.
I’m guessing that his name popped up in internal trade discussions, such as “man we really need to trade Hicks and free the team if the salary” and not other teams calling them asking about Hicks.
I’m guessing it popped up as, “Call every team in the league, and at least ask if they would pretty please take Hicks and his contract. Maybe we’ll catch someone very drunk or on pain medication”
Perfect trade one for one: Yoshida for Hicks. Oh wait…
Why would anyone want him?
Cause he throws 100+ outta the pen
Does he still throw 100? He was great as a RP for the Jays but it seems like the Giants broke him.
No Devers. No Bregman. What a disaster of a trade.
It’s amazing how different the offense is since opening day last season. The Sox still need to bring in at least one big bat to be taken seriously.
Brent rooker would ne a great fit, if A’s willing to trade him. Red Sox have pitching to spare
Did you miss the playoffs? That trade was one of the best things that has happened to the Red Sox who are a favorite to make the playoffs again.
Red Sox are currently slotted for 3-4 in the east. No where near a favourite
The Sox squeaked in to the playoffs (which IS good, for sure), and were promptly exposed as being completely unprepared in all aspects of the roster. Why do you attribute that partial success with trading Devers for junk? Surely we would have been better off with Devers bat in the lineup. And Harrison was no help. Hicks was a negative. Tibbs became Dustin May, who was either neutral or a negative, Depending on how you score. the trade only seemed to benefit Henry and the shareholder’s bank accounts.
Giants got Devers and dumped Hicks contact the n Boston.
Andy, if the Sox get that power righty bat to DH (Suárez) and a bigger if here, Mayer and Story stay healthy, this will be a better overall team than last year. Devers became a problem child and while I loved Bregman last year, his production is likely to continue to decline. To me, he’s valuable but also grossly overrated. Story staying healthy was just as important as signing Bregman last year. Both also were equally as important with the youngsters.
I file this in the same rumor bucket as the Red Sox Have Discussed Trading Yoshida.
The Red Sox would be improved by finding a taker for either (both!) of these players, but they will need to package somebody else of at least mild value for the deal to be palatable. And need to eat some of the $$
OK, so Hicks, Masa and $20M to whomever can send back a couple minor league lotto tickets. Maybe even include slightly used utility infielder. That would be the move of the off season for Breslow.
Going to have to make it $40m to get literally anything of value back, even lottery tickets.
Why not trade him to St Louis? The Cardinals need a closer and his value is obviously low. If he bounces back great trade him if not oh well.
I’m willing to give Hicks the benefit of the doubt that starting the season as a starter and then getting shipped cross country to pitch relief with a new team might’ve had him at his absolute worst. I think it’s possible that a full ST as a reliever and entering the season with that defined role could help him lock in more this year. And I doubt there’s any real takers out there anyway, so may as well hope.
Surprise, surprise, surprise. Some teams called about Hicks and offered nothing. Breslow said thanks but no thanks. Now let’s go to Fort Myers.
No Darragh. As usual you are wrong. We shouldn’t presume that the Red Sox were shopping him. We should only look. At the facts as presented. Those facts don’t even intimate that the Red Sox were shopping Hicks. Only that they talked to unspecified teams about him.
The fact is that there are no facts about how Hicks conversations have gone. The author’s speculation holds just as much water as yours. No need to be a jerk about it. I find it quite believable that the Sox might be trying to shop him.
C’mon, Darragh’s NEVER wrong!
Where in the article does it say “teams called Boston about Hicks”?
Hint: it doesn’t.
I’ve been saying that Boston is probably the best bet if the Phillies wanted to trade Nick Castellanos. Boston already had a lefty heavy lineup before losing Rob Refsnyder to the Mariners and Alex Bregman to the Cubs. Castellanos could handle an OF corner at Fenway, and would be an insurance policy on Tristan Casas – coming off a major injury, at 1B.
Phillies acquire:
– Jordan Hicks RHP (2/$25M)
Red Sox acquire:
– Nick Castellanos RF/LF (1/$20M)
Phillies shave $7.5M to add Austin Hays, or even some SP depth like a Chris Paddack. You roll the dice and hope Hicks and his 100mph heat bounces back as a middle reliever. All of a sudden that $12.5M for 2027 looks a little more reasonable, if he does. Boston adds a much needed RH bat to balance out their lineup. A player that is never injured, with a wealth of post season experience. Nick should be plenty motivated in a contract year too.
The Red Sox have Willson Contreras to play first base or designated hitter. They have more of a need to acquire an infielder who is experienced and who is an above average hitter.
Where is Castellanos going to play in Boston?
Castellanos would be a bench guy. He doesnt have to start hes not any good.
More importantly, why should boston want to bust into higher tiers on CBT?
Its not about total money for boston, their actual payroll is WAAAAY below their CBT figures.
Boston wants to find a guy who was really really backloaded heavily on their salary for a contract swap. Actual payroll is one thing, challenging enough for the front office to handle squeezing out of Henry. But increasing your tax hit is the exact opposite of what they need to do, especially to keep in season maneuvering room
I don’t think Philly will be able to trade Castellanos. I think he gets cut. I doubt the Red Sox are interested in him even at the minimum. Both corners in Fenway have their quirks, and he struggled in a more conventional park.
To clear money off the books for 2027, they’ll have an extra $12.5M to play with in free agency.
Spot on GA. Sox are probably looking to trade Hicks for a bucket of balls and with other moves then sign Suarez as their DH.
LF/RF/DH vs. LHP’s. Boston will occasionally sit one or two of Duran, Abreu or Yoshida vs. southpaws. Could also play some 1B and DH. He’s still an above league average hitter vs. lefties. It would be similar to the role Rob Refsnyder played for them.
Best bet is to keep him a reliever and hope he finds his form in no way would I make him a starter again.
LOL. Doesn’t this go without saying?
I assume the missing context is, “The Angels offered Rendon. Everyone else laughed in Breslow’s face.”
To any team considering this I have two words: don’t
If Hicks gets to Spring Training and is consistently throwing strikes in the upper 90s, other teams may show interest in him, especially if one or more of those teams suddenly loses their closer or set-up man to a long term injury.
Teams are always trying to pawn their junk off .
brilliant move by sox sending a HOF’er for 2 worthless prospects and hicks who put up 8.20 era in boston
where are the crazy delusional fans who were ready to burn down fenway unless raffy was traded? where are they now?
just another entry in the long glorious history of redsox trades
**Larry Andersen says Hi***
Chandler, who is the HOF player? Mookie wasn’t traded for Hicks…
I’d love to see the Mets and the Red Sox put something together involving Baty and Bello
Still can’t believe Boston legitimately traded Rafael Devers for Jordan Hicks straight up at the MLB level. Kyle Harrison is like 10th on the depth chart
Yup. I still can’t believe that some Sox fans still try to pretend it was a good thing.
Buster fleeced them !
Keep the walks down. Which is like saying you need to hit your free throws.
as a yankee fan i was thrilled with the devers trade. he went from figuratively out of our league to literally out of our league
Dever’s not gonna age well. Wonder how that contract looks in a couple of years. Not exactly a team player.
If they can harness his control (and isn’t that why they have coaches), he could be a solid 7th or 8th inning guy. He definitely has the stuff.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s someone like Paredes for Abreu and Hicks. Something like that