The White Sox pulled off another significant transaction yesterday, acquiring right-handers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin, two players to be named later, and $8MM in cash (to help cover Hicks’ $24MM salary) for pitching prospect Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later. It is the third notable move in four days for Chicago, after the Pale Hose signed Seranthony Dominguez and Austin Hays to free agent contracts.
Between the $12MM owed to Hicks in 2026, Hays’ $6MM guarantee in a one-year deal, and the $8MM allotted for Dominguez in the first season of his two-year, $20MM contract, it adds up to a $26MM outlay for the White Sox on this trio for the upcoming season. It’s a pretty close match for the $20MM Chicago had committed to Luis Robert Jr. before the outfielder and his contract were dealt to the Mets on January 20.
“With the payroll flexibility that we gained through that move, we wanted to utilize that money toward players that could help us for the long term as we continue to take the next step. There are different avenues to do that,” White Sox GM Chris Getz told reporters (including SoxMachine’s James Fegan and MLB.com’s Scott Merkin), further noting that “adding a Sandlin is essentially part of a Luis Robert return.”
That’s a bit of a eyebrow-raising comment, given that Chicago’s payroll currently sits at a paltry $85.5MM, per RosterResource. To suggest that Sandlin’s acquisition was only possible in conjunction with a Robert trade would imply that the Chicago-based club can’t support a payroll that includes Robert, Dominguez, Hays and Hicks — but that would’ve only pushed the payroll to around $105MM. Perhaps owner Jerry Reinsdorf truly won’t green-light a payroll north of $100MM at present, but the South Siders trotted out a $181MM Opening Day payroll as recently as 2023 (and $193MM in 2022). Getz’s assertion that Sandlin is indirectly part of the Robert return is either a case of some serious spin or an eye-opening acknowledgement of severe budget restrictions put in place by Reinsdorf.
Regardless, it seems that Sandlin has been on Chicago’s radar for a good while now, and Getz views the hard-throwing right-hander as someone who’s “going to come into Spring Training and compete for a spot” in the team’s rotation. Sandlin has only 23 2/3 Triple-A innings to his name, and he struggled to a 7.61 ERA during that brief stint with Triple-A Worcester in 2025. Even if he doesn’t crack the club’s Opening Day rotation, it’s perfectly plausible that he’ll be an option to join the staff later in the season as he gets more experience at the top minor league level.
Beyond this young arm in Sandlin, Hicks brings some experience to the pitching staff, though he’s a pure rebound candidate. The righty posted a 6.95 ERA across 67 1/3 innings with the Giants and Red Sox in 2025, with subpar strikeout (18.5%) and walk (10.2%) rates. Hicks’ 4.41 SIERA also wasn’t great but is a better reflection of his performance, since it factored in some bad batted-ball luck, as the grounder specialist was hurt by a .352 average on balls in play.
Health was also a factor. Hicks spent a little under two months on the injured list dealing with toe inflammation and then tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. On this front, Hicks told media that he has recovered well, and is up to throwing 99.5mph in a recent bullpen session. “My body’s in a great place, probably the best it’s been since 2023,” Hicks said. “I’m fit for whatever role that the team needs me in. I think that I can do very well in both [starting and relieving]. I’m just excited for the opportunity mostly, and ready to get back on the field.”
For now, the White Sox plan to use Hicks as a relief pitcher, Getz stated. This isn’t surprising given how Hicks struggled as a starter with the Giants and was converted back to relief work partway through each of the last two seasons. Hicks has spent the bulk 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. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that the two sides “had serious discussions” about including Jordan Leasure in the deal before the Red Sox instead went with Ziehl as the named player in the two-player return.
Whereas Ziehl has yet to reach Triple-A, the 27-year-old Leasure has two seasons of MLB experience, with 101 games for Chicago. Leasure made his debut in 2024 and posted a 6.32 ERA over 31 1/3 innings, but improved on that mark significantly with a 3.92 ERA and 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 up from Leasure’s 12.7 BB% in 2024.
There’s no real reason to think Chicago is actively shopping Leasure, but it’s of some note that they at least considered it — particularly with how many clubs around the league are looking for affordable bullpen help. Leasure will pitch the bulk of the upcoming season at 27 (28 in mid-August), has a pair of minor league options remaining, and won’t be arbitration-eligible until next offseason, when he’ll likely be a Super Two player.
“The Pale Hose” is wild. Do White Sox fans actually say that?
The only “hose” we care about is the one wielded by Roger Bossard! 🤣
It’s an appellation used in print for decades
I love it, it’s so ominous
It’s an old, old nickname for the Sox, dating back to the ’40s at least. The fans don’t use it much, but the local press always has. To me, it is redolent of a simpler and, in some ways, better time.
I like Pale Hose a lot better than ChiSox which just seems so lazy and lacks creativity.
Back when women stayed in the kitchen, right Alan?
Check your math in the second paragraph. 12 + 6 + 8 = 26 not 22.
Sandlin is very much a reclamation prospect (like Hicks is a BP arm) that hasn’t been impressive in minor leagues. They should’ve walked on taking Hicks off their hands unless it was paid down to 2yrs/10-12 mil (rather than 17)-esp’ly with Ziehl going back. Boston didn’t have any leverage. Here’s hoping Hicks suddenly reverts to STL high leverage quality few years removed.
They need to leave Chicago. Their attendance has been so dismal. It’s clear that most of the White Sox fans have switched allegiances and are now actively cheering for and attending games on the North Side.
Maybe if they tried to put a good product on the field they would have fans at the ballpark. Stop with this ridiculous never ending rebuild and try to put something out there people will pay to see.
No they aren’t. Most of us are just waiting for Jerry to complete the sale or die before we go back to the park. I don’t know a single Sox fan that decided to become Cubs fan
Don’t look now, but there’s a good team coming together here.
There is not. They still suck and filling up with these players adds at most one or two wins. Reinsdorf remains the second worst owner in MLB and he is doing nothing but pocketing extra millions while waiting to die.
It’s still garbage. Who’s the Opening Day starting pitcher?
If the players suck,then give Teel back to the Red Sox.We will give you more crap.If your team will suck you don’t need the players who will be good.
Is there any truth to the persistent rumor that they are going to erect a giant billboard with a photo of Rob Schneider that says, “Oh no, we suck again!” in center field?
How the heck did the Sox pass on Suarez at third for 15$mm?
Because besides the raw power, he’s significant crud in every other category. Butcher at third, 250’s. Rh all or nothing power hitters go to Fenway to die. I’m sure they had no interest in him besides a courtesy call. Mayer is far superior at everything but long balls.
Isn’t the payroll near 90M. Austin Hays plus part of Hicks salary equals 14M equals 91M?
Poverty franchise
Maybe the White Sox could allow Jordan Hicks to be a starter?
i love that even MLB trade rumors is critical of jerry reinsdorf pretending he can only have a shoestring budget.
No Mark, he just means that Sandlin should be considered part of the return from the Roberts trade, that’s all. I don’t think his comment had to do with money. He just means that indirectly Sandlin was acquired because they were able to pay all of the Hicks contract.
Hicks is a “bounce back candidate”. Thanks for starting my day off with a belly laugh!
Seems like a Red Sox pitchers have been on the White Sox radar they took Drohan in the Rule 5 and now out of the blue they took Paez.