Why David Sandlin May Be The White Sox Most Valuable Pitching Addition
While the White Sox added Erick Fedde to bolster the rotation, a late trade general manager Chris Getz made this offseason could prove to be the most valuable addition to the pitching staff.
Getz opened February by acquiring right-handers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-hander Gager Ziehl, whom Chicago had acquired at last year’s trade deadline from the New York Yankees in the deal that sent Austin Slater to New York, along with a player to be named later.
On the surface, Hicks appears to be the headliner of the trade, but given Getz’s comments following the trade, it’s clear Sandlin was the focal point of the deal.
Getz indicated that Sandlin will not only compete for a roster spot in spring training but also believes his arsenal gives him the upside to develop into a mid-rotation starter or better, with the potential to make an immediate impact on the rotation this season.
Upon joining the White Sox organization, he slotted in as the clubs 6th ranked pitching prospect and 14th overall.
Why Sandlin is the real prize
The 24-year-old features a fastball that can touch triple digits and produced a 30.3% chase rate in Triple-A last season despite posting a 7.61 ERA across 23.2 innings. That inflated ERA was largely the result of persistent command issues, particularly with his fastball, which too often caught the heart of the zone and was punished by hitters.
The raw stuff, however, is undeniable. In addition to an upper-90s heater, Sandlin throws a mid-80s slider that served as his primary wipeout pitch last season, along with an upper-80s cutter designed to keep hitters off balance.
For Sandlin to earn a roster spot, two things will be critical: tightening his fastball command and continuing to develop his splitter, a pitch he began experimenting with last season and has used as a changeup. If those pieces come together, his arsenal gives him a legitimate chance to force the issue this spring.
At this point, the only pitchers who can be reasonably penciled into the rotation are Shane Smith, Anthony Kay and Davis Martin. That leaves Sandlin competing with a crowded group that includes Mike Vasil and Sean Newcomb — both of whom profile more naturally as bullpen arms — Drew Thorpe, who is returning from injury and is likely to open the year in Triple-A, Jonathan Cannon, who struggled in a starting role last season, Sean Burke, who flashed upside but lacked consistency, and Fedde, now with his third team in seven months.
Sandlin already has a foundation built on throwing strikes. Across four minor league seasons, he has averaged just 2.9 walks per nine innings. The next step is refining where those pitches land within the strike zone. When his command wavered at Triple-A, hitters were able to square him up, batting .337 against him.
Bannister’s track record fuels optimism
While there are legitimate concerns, the White Sox have shown in recent years that they can develop pitching under director of pitching Brian Bannister. Fedde enjoyed the best stretch of his career after returning to the majors in Chicago, Adrian Houser posted a career-best ERA during his 11 starts with the White Sox, and Shane Smith went from a Rule 5 pick to an All-Star under Bannister’s watch.
Sandlin represents the type of high-upside project Bannister can help mold a young arm into an impactful middle-of-the-rotation starter.
Even before the trade, Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow indicated that he believed Sandlin could help the Red Sox at some point. But from Boston’s perspective, the trade was largely a salary dump, which is a large reason the White Sox were able to net Sandlin as part of the deal.
The move also compounded the fallout from the Red Sox’s earlier trade of Rafael Devers to San Francisco, which was made in part to shed Devers’ 10-year, $313.5 million contract. Boston took on Jordan Hicks in that deal, but after he struggled in 2025 — posting a 6.95 ERA over 67 1/3 innings — the club was again motivated to move salary.
As part of the agreement, Boston sent $8 million to Chicago, leaving the White Sox on the hook for $16 million over the final two years of Hicks’ contract.
The deal also bookended the White Sox’s trade of Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets, which freed up $20 million in salary. That added flexibility allowed Chicago to sign reliever Seranthony Domínguez to a two-year, $20 million contract, bring in outfielder Austin Hays on a one-year, $6 million deal, and absorb the final two years of Hicks’ contract.
What the White Sox are getting in Hicks
Hicks brings plenty of intrigue. He is one of the hardest throwers in baseball, with a fastball that averages 97 mph, and has produced ground balls at a 56.8% percent clip over the course of his eight-year career.
Still, he has struggled to carve out a defined role in recent years. After inking a four-year, $44 million deal with the Giants, Hicks earned a spot in the starting rotation in 2024. The conversion from full-time reliever initially looked like a success after he allowed just two earned runs across his first seven starts.
That success proved short-lived. Over his final 13 starts, Hicks’ ERA climbed to 4.01, with opponents batting .255 against him. Much of the downturn coincided with a drop in velocity as the season wore on. A move back to the bullpen offered little relief. Hicks surrendered six earned runs in just 11 innings as a reliever before the season ended.
The Giants gave him another opportunity in the rotation in 2025, but the results got even worse. Hicks allowed 55 hits and 36 earned runs in 13 appearances, nine of which were starts, before being traded to Boston, where he spent the remainder of the season in the bullpen.
While Hicks has said he is comfortable in either role, the White Sox appear better suited to keep him in the bullpen. The team lacks established, veteran relievers, and the bulk of Hicks’ major league success has come in relief, most notably early in his career with the Cardinals.
A bullpen fit with upside — and risk
Hicks said this offseason that he has touched 99.5 mph and is averaging around 96 mph with his fastball, a sign he’s feeling healthy heading into the year. While his recent results offer limited reason for optimism, sustained upper-90s velocity would give him a chance to recapture the form that once made him a dominant late-inning option in St. Louis.
That version of Hicks featured a triple-digit sinker that produced a 28% strikeout rate and a career-high 14 saves in 2019. The White Sox have not had a reliever reach double-digit saves since Liam Hendriks in 2022, and while Domínguez is expected to handle the primary closing duties, there is a clear path for Hicks to work his way into high-leverage situations.
His sinker still sits in the upper 90s, but durability and command remain open questions. Hicks suffered a season-ending UCL tear in June 2019 and later missed time with elbow, forearm, and neck injuries over the next four seasons. He also owns a career 11.5% walk rate, a dangerous combination in late innings, highlighted by an 8.20 ERA out of the Red Sox bullpen, where his walk rate spiked to 15.5%.
A Vote Of Confidence
Still, Getz believes there is upside to be unlocked, saying the White Sox view Hicks as a bullpen piece at minimum, believing the team is best served if he can regain form in a relief role after bouncing between roles and teams in recent years.
“Our stuff grades, both metrically and our scouting evaluations, are still really strong,” Getz told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. “There’s likely some tweaking that can go with his arsenal.”
If Hicks gets off to a strong start, his $12 million salary in 2027 could make him an intriguing trade chip for contenders seeking bullpen help at the deadline or a valuable in-house option if the White Sox are closer to contending next season.