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Chris Getz has just signed the biggest free agent for Chicago since Andrew Benintendi, with Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami.

The Chicago White Sox have traded pitching prospect Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for cash, pitching prospect David Sandlin, two players to be named later and reliever Jordan Hicks, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

This is an intriguing trade for the White Sox, who recently traded outfielder Luis Robert Jr. for salary relief. They will now take on part of Hicks’ salary.

The Red Sox will send $8million of Hicks’ $24 million contract to Chicago as part of this trade, per The Athletic’s Will Sammon. So effectively, this is a salary dump for the Red Sox that could work to Chicago’s favor.

Who Did the Chicago White Sox Acquire and What is Their Fit?

The White Sox acquired a couple of interesting pieces in this deal.

Sandlin is an intriguing pitching prospect. He was drafted in the 11th round by the Kansas City Royals in the 2022 MLB Draft. Sandlin was the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

In 65 games in the minors (47 starts), Sandlin has pitched to a 4.38 ERA. He is more of a strikeout pitcher, with 279 K’s in 232 innings of work.

He has an above-average fastball, averaging 94-97 mph, peaking at 100. Sandlin also possesses above-average splitters and sliders.

With above-average control as well, Sandlin profiles as a future starter as soon as 2026, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

While Sandlin was a good pickup, fans should not underrate the acquisition of flamethrowing reliever Jordan Hicks.

While Hicks isn’t averaging 100 mph on his fastball like he used to, he still averages around 98 and can touch over 100 when necessary.

A former third-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals, Hicks started his career like a house on fire. In 73 games during the 2018 season, he pitched to a 3.59 ERA with 70 strikeouts.

Injuries and control, however, have gotten the best of Hicks. The San Francisco Giants attempted to stretch Hicks out into a starter, but that effort ended poorly in 2024 and 2025, resulting in a 4.83 ERA with the team.

Hicks still excels with his velocity and his ground-ball rate, with a 56.7% rate (95th percentile), per Baseball Savant.

Hicks figures to be a high-leverage reliever on this White Sox team that just signed Seranthony Dominguez to be their closer.

With the Red Sox also eating part of Hicks’ salary, this is an intriguing move by Chicago.

Who Did the White Sox Give Up?

Ziehl was the No. 14 White Sox prospect in 2025. Projected to be a back-end of the rotation starter, Ziehl could have the same role in Boston.

In his first season in the minors, Ziehl was a quick riser, mostly due to his great control (just 19 walks in 107 innings).

His fastball is average, but his slider is what generates swings-and-misses. While he isn’t a strikeout pitcher, he can get outs at a high level.

Either way, this was an excellent trade for the White Sox. They acquired a future potential starter and a reliever with great upside. Can director of pitching Brian Bannister work another miracle with these two pitchers? White Sox fans will have to find out.