The Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night. The move yielded them two big league pitchers and two prospects.
One of the pitchers coming to the Red Sox is flamethrower Jordan Hicks. Hicks debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018, but signed with the Giants on a four-year, $44 million deal before last season. Hicks has seen time as a starter and out of the bullpen, but the Red Sox revealed what their plans with him were.
“Obviously the quality of return, we’re going to see how that plays out over the next several years,” Craig Breslow said in a press conference posted on the team’s YouTube channel. “We’re absolutely excited about bringing Jordan Hicks, a dominant late-inning reliver, into our mix.”
In his career Hicks has made 37 starts, with 29 of those coming with the Giants. He has a 4.23 career ERA. His ERA as a starter is 4.91 while his ERA out of the bullpen is 3.73. Hicks has touched 105 mph in his career, and that came when he was working out of the Cardinals’ bullpen.
The Red Sox starting rotation could use some stability behind Garrett Crochet, but the Red Sox revealed that they view Kyle Harrison as a potential starter in the front half of their rotation. Hicks has the potential to become the closer for years to come which could be why the team acquired him. Despite starting for a majority of last season and this seaosn, Hicks will likely work exclusively out of the bullpen in Boston.
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Aroldis Chapman will be a free agent after this seaosn, and if Hicks can establish himself as an elite arm out of the Red Sox’s bullpen, the team will likely be comfortable with him taking over as the clkoser next year. He is under club control through 2027. He is currently on the injured list with a toe injury.
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