Red Sox Could Cut Ties With 7-Year Veteran in Dream Trade

Probably too good to be true?

May 14, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A general view of a glove and Boston Red Sox hat in the dugout prior to a game between the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

If the Red Sox could wave a magic wand and make any payroll-related move, they'd probably offload Jordan Hicks' contract onto someone else.

Hicks was the Red Sox's concession to the San Francisco Giants for offloading the rest of Rafael Devers' contract, which runs through 2033. But while Devers is the more expensive player, he's also an All-Star caliber slugger, while Hicks was completely unplayable down the stretch this year.

Because Hicks is owed $25 million over the next two seasons, there have been a lot of assumptions that the Red Sox would be stuck with the bill, and might even have to simply release him and take the full luxury tax hit. But on Friday, an insider provided a glimmer of hope that Boston might be able to relieve some of that strain.

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Could Red Sox offload Hicks?

Sep 3, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Jordan Hicks (46) throws a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, the Red Sox have at least discussed potential trades involving Hicks, though there was no evidence provided that a deal is close.

"(Brayan) Bello and (Patrick) Sandoval are among the starters who’ve surfaced in trade talks, according to a league source, while reliever Jordan Hicks has also been discussed," McCaffrey wrote.

"Hicks has not found success in Boston with an 8.20 ERA in 21 appearances before he ended the season on the injured list. He’s also owed $12 million in 2026, and the Red Sox would surely like to off-load some of that contract."

It's a bummer that Hicks is seen as such an albatross on the payroll, because the Red Sox are over the second luxury tax threshold and still need roster improvements. Otherwise, we might be discussing him as a bounce-back candidate.

The fact that Hicks has a multi-year commitment makes him a lot more difficult to trade than someone with his salary would be if they were slated for free agency at the end of the year. A team might be willing to commit, say, $6 million to him as a reclamation project this year, but they wouldn't necessarily want to be on the hook for the same amount for the 2027 season.

So if Boston really is going to unload Hicks, it seems likely that a prospect would have to be attached to the deal. The more salary the Sox want to unload, the better that prospect would probably have to be.

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