Starter or Reliever? White Sox GM Chris Getz Shares Plan for Jordan Hicks
In this story:
Since parting ways with fan-favorite Luis Robert Jr. earlier this offseason, the Chicago White Sox have been in acquisition mode.
The organization has put together one of MLB's most impressive winters, using its newfound financial flexibility to add multiple instant-impact players. Several of those players are expected to elevate the team on the mound. Former Blue Jays closer Seranthony Dominguez projects to be the most effective arm, but a different name is undoubtedly going to draw the most attention in the lead-up to Opening Day.
Chicago arguably made its most aggressive move of the offseason by adding former standout Jordan Hicks in a trade with the Boston Red Sox. To be sure, prospect David Sandlin is the real prize of the transaction, as the White Sox are being rewarded for taking on Hicks' lofty salary. But there is no question that the White Sox are crossing their fingers that the gamble on Hicks can pay off.
Hicks first burst onto the scene in 2018 with the St. Louis Cardinals. His flame-throwing arm took the league by storm, as he proved to be one of the most effective arms out of the bullpen. From there, however, his story is riddled with injury trouble. He would eventually undergo Tommy John's Surgery before sitting out the COVID year. Then, despite returning in 2021 with similarly lethal stuff, Hicks struggled to stay on the mound and pitched in a total of 45 games over the next two seasons.
The Cardinals eventually opted to send him to the Toronto Blue Jays in July of 2023 amid a career year. Hicks only continued to look like a far more reliable reliever, finishing the year with a 3.29 ERA and 28.4 percent K rate. This is what ultimately led the Giants to take the gamble and sign him to a lucrative four-year, $44.0 million deal. They even gave Hicks a chance to join the rotation as a starter, which unfortunately cut off the momentum he had previously built.
Hicks registered an underwhelming 4.10 ERA in his 29 starts. Things were even uglier the following season, when Hicks recorded an ERA of nearly 7.0 in his nine outings. Just like that, once again, Hicks was on the move.
The Boston Red Sox acquired Hicks last season and moved him back to a bullpen role. Whatever funk he was in out West followed him, however, and he pitched worse than ever before.
So ... have you caught your breath?
Clearly, it's been a crazy up-and-down journey for Hicks, but it's easy to understand why he keeps getting chances to impress. When you record the fastest pitch ever in the modern era (yes, he's done that at 105.1), teams are going to keep crossing their fingers that they can fix you. The White Sox are now that team, and it begs the question: What the heck is their plan?
How Will White Sox Use Jordan Hicks?
White Sox GM Chris Getz joined MLB Network on Wednesday to talk about his offseason moves. To little surprise, it didn't take long for him to be asked about how he plans to use Jordan Hicks. While he didn't necessarily provide a concrete answer, it does sound as though the White Sox prefer to keep him in a more limited role:
“I think it's probably going to go towards the bullpen, I do," Getz said. "I know his offseason has been fantastic. He’s up to 98-99. His body has been responding well. How he’s moving down the mound, it sounds really positive … I do think it’s still heading towards the bullpen, but it’s still kind of evolving as we have conversations with him.”
For what it's worth, the White Sox technically have some room to mess with their starting rotation, as they are looking at an extremely young lineup this season. But throwing Hicks back into that role certainly feels too risky. The same can be said about turning to him as an immediate closer. While he could possibly settle into this role, he obviously struggled in high-leverage situations during his last stop. At the end of the day, if the White Sox are hoping to rejuvenate the power arm, choosing his spots wisely is going to be the wisest approach.
Nevertheless, Getz sounds optimistic about what the White Sox may be able to get from Hicks moving forward. He also insisted that the journeyman will be ready for whatever role comes his way this April.
"You talk about the high-octane stuff. He's an elite talent. He's been in a couple of different roles. Obviously, they tried him starting in San Francisco, a little bit in Boston. Truthfully, in talking to him yesterday, I wanted to get a sense of where he was at with things. It was the first time I have ever talked to him over the phone or met him, and I didn't feel like it was right to say 'hey, this is what your role is going to be.' We need the player to really buy in. The response from him was, 'I will do whatever you think is best for the Chicago White Sox.'"
Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.
Follow Schuster_Elias