Red Sox Aren't Giving Up On 29-Year-Old Flamethrower Yet

The Boston Red Sox shocked the baseball world this past summer by sending Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants.

There was obviously drama around Devers, but a deal involving the star slugger didn't seem likely right up until the reports surfaced saying that a deal had gotten done. In exchange for Devers, the Red Sox got Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, and two prospects.

Boston ended up having its most successful season in years as it made the playoffs and had an 89-73 record. But, there has been a lot said about the return for Devers. Harrison is the biggest piece for Boston from the deal, but he only appeared in three regular season games for Boston. Hicks appeared in 21 games and mightily struggled pitching to an 8.20 ERA. While this is the case, Boston isn't expected to give up on him yet, per MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo.

"Righty Jordan Hicks is under contract, and barring the Red Sox giving up (and eating the big money remaining on his contract) will be given the chance to figure things out during spring training," Cotillo said.

The Red Sox are making the right call

Sep 3, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias (13) hits a two run home run against Boston Red Sox pitcher Jordan Hicks (46) in the second inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

This arguably is the right decision. He's under contract for two more seasons at $12.5 million per year. Cutting him would be a waste and his trade value is low. Instead, the best bet would be trying to get him on track. Hicks is a guy with insane stuff when he's at his best. He was in the 92nd percentile in fastball velocity, 95th percentile in groundball rate, and 93rd percentile in barrel rate last year, even in a bad season.

The 2023 season was the last time that Hicks was a full-time reliever. That year, he logged a 3.29 ERA in 65 appearances and had 12 saves. On top of this, his advanced metrics were off the charts. He was in the 100th percentile in fastball velocity, 96th percentile in groundball rate, 89th percentile in average exit velocity, 87th percentile in expected batting average against, and 85th percentile in expected ERA among others.

The San Francisco Giants signed him and tried to convert him to the starting rotation. In 2024, he was fine with a 4.10 ERA in 29 total appearances -- including 20 starts. Things took a turn for the worst in 2025. He hasn't had a really consistent role since that 2023 season, and even that year he got traded during the summer.

A full offseason of preparing to be in the bullpen and a consistent role in Boston could absolutely get him back to that 2023 level.

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