The White Sox have been busy. In a flurry of moves that signal a new direction - or at least a bold reshuffling - Chicago added right-handers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin, two players to be named later, and $8 million in cash in exchange for pitching prospect Gage Ziehl and another player to be named later. It’s the third significant transaction in just four days for the South Siders, who also signed reliever Seranthony Dominguez and outfielder Austin Hays in free agency.
Let’s break this down: between Hicks’ $12 million salary for 2026, Hays’ $6 million one-year deal, and Dominguez’s $8 million first-year payout on a two-year, $20 million contract, the White Sox are committing $26 million to this trio for the upcoming season. That figure lines up closely with the $20 million they had on the books for Luis Robert Jr. - before they sent their star outfielder to the Mets on January 20.
According to GM Chris Getz, the financial flexibility created by that blockbuster Robert deal was immediately reinvested into players who could contribute both now and down the line. “There are different avenues to do that,” Getz said, adding that acquiring Sandlin was “essentially part of a Luis Robert return.”
That’s a curious statement, especially when you consider that the team’s current payroll sits around $85.5 million - a far cry from the $181 million Opening Day payroll they carried just three seasons ago in 2023. Even if they’d kept Robert alongside Dominguez, Hays, and Hicks, the total payroll would’ve landed somewhere near $105 million - still well below recent norms for this club. Whether Getz’s comments reflect a tight budget from ownership or are simply a bit of spin remains to be seen, but either way, it underscores the team’s new financial reality.
Back to the players. Sandlin, a 2023 draft pick, is a name the White Sox have had their eye on.
He’s expected to come into Spring Training and compete for a rotation spot, though he has just 23 2/3 innings of Triple-A experience under his belt - and they weren’t exactly dominant. In his stint with Triple-A Worcester last season, Sandlin posted a 7.61 ERA.
Still, the organization clearly sees upside in the 6-foot-4 righty, and even if he doesn’t break camp with the big league club, he’s likely to be in the mix later in the year as he continues to develop.
As for Hicks, he’s a more familiar name - and a bit of a reclamation project. The hard-throwing righty is coming off a rough 2025 campaign split between San Francisco and Boston, where he logged a 6.95 ERA over 67 1/3 innings.
His strikeout rate dipped to 18.5%, and his walk rate climbed to 10.2%. Not ideal.
But his 4.41 SIERA paints a slightly less grim picture, suggesting some of the damage came from bad batted-ball luck - including a .352 BABIP that’s well above league average. For a groundball specialist like Hicks, that’s a tough break.
Injuries played a role too. Hicks missed nearly two months with toe inflammation and shoulder tendinitis, but he says he’s now fully healthy and throwing 99.5 mph in bullpen sessions.
“My body’s in a great place, probably the best it’s been since 2023,” Hicks told reporters. “I’m fit for whatever role the team needs me in.
I think I can do very well in both [starting and relieving]. I’m just excited for the opportunity.”
Still, the White Sox plan to use Hicks out of the bullpen - a move that makes sense given his recent struggles as a starter. Over the last two seasons, he’s been shifted back to relief midseason after rough outings in the rotation. Historically, he’s been more effective in shorter stints, and if he can stay healthy, there’s still a path for him to be a high-leverage arm.
Interestingly, the Hicks deal could’ve looked a little different. During negotiations with the Red Sox, the two sides reportedly had serious talks about including reliever Jordan Leasure in the trade. Ultimately, Boston went with Ziehl instead.
Leasure is an intriguing arm in his own right. The 27-year-old has two seasons of big-league experience, making his debut in 2024.
That year, he posted a 6.32 ERA over 31 1/3 innings - not exactly eye-catching - but he took a big step forward in 2025. Leasure logged 64 1/3 innings with a 3.92 ERA and an impressive 30.1% strikeout rate.
The walk rate (11.2%) is still a work in progress, but even that was an improvement from his 12.7% mark the year before.
There’s no indication that the White Sox are actively shopping Leasure, but the fact that he was on the table in trade talks is notable. With two minor league options remaining and arbitration still a year away - he’s likely to be a Super Two player next offseason - Leasure remains a cost-controlled bullpen piece. In a market where affordable relief help is in high demand, he’s the kind of arm that could draw interest.
So, what does this all mean for the White Sox? On the surface, it looks like a team trying to retool on the fly - adding upside arms, shedding salary, and betting on bounce-backs. Whether it’s enough to get them back into contention remains to be seen, but one thing’s clear: Chicago isn’t standing still.