Veteran reliever's quiet resurgence has White Sox fans feeling better about offseason trade

The White Sox head into the All-Star break in a tie for first place in the AL Central, but there’s no question the team isn’t a finished product. The team’s bullpen, which was among their biggest issues in 2025, has been inconsistent so far this season, and the White Sox likely have their eye on the trade market for reinforcements. Sean Newcomb and Grant Taylor have put together excellent seasons, but Sernathony Dominguez’s struggles have left the team with questions about how to handle the late innings. Fortunately, the past month has been a resurgence for veteran Jordan Hicks, and he could be just the answer the White Sox were looking for in the late innings. 

Hicks, 29, was acquired by the White Sox in the offseason trade that also brought in pitching prospect David Sandlin. Boston was looking to shed payroll and was willing to include Sandlin in the deal to move Hicks’ contract (he’s owed $8.5 million in each of the next two seasons). In Hicks, the White Sox landed a versatile arm with electric fastball velocity that often struggled with command. 2025 was rock bottom for Hicks, who posted a 6.47 ERA with the Giants before producing an even-worse mark of 8.20 after a trade to the Red Sox. Still, the White Sox believed in his pitches enough to give him a shot. 

It’s been a roller coaster of a season so far for Hicks. His three outings in March didn’t go well, but he posted a solid 2.61 ERA in the month of April. He struggled in six May appearances before landing on the IL on May 20th with a lat strain. Hicks missed about a month before the White Sox activated him on June 21st. Since his return, Hicks has been nothing short of dominant.

Jordan Hicks' resurgence could give the White Sox a much-needed late-inning righty

With the White Sox struggling to find stability in the back end of their bullpen, the role for standout reliever Grant Taylor has been constantly changing. Taylor has been used in multi-inning situations, opening spots, and high leverage situations, sometimes more than one at a time. Much of this is due to the team’s lack of a second reliable right-hander. Seranthony Dominguez has been inconsistent at best, and the other two reliable arms for the White Sox are left-handed. Jordan Hicks becoming a late-inning presence for the White Sox would not only help himself, but Grant Taylor as well. 

I am certain that the White Sox will still be in the market for bullpen help as the trade deadline approaches in just a few weeks. No team ever feels comfortable with their pitching depth, so I have no doubt that Chris Getz will explore the market. But the standings may dictate a market with a lot of buyers and not a lot of sellers, and the White Sox should prepare for the possibility that they’re not able to make a deal. A resurgent Hicks and flamethrowing prospect Tanner McDougal could provide more stability from the right side in the event the team is not able to find a trade they like. 

With Hicks under control for 2027, the White Sox turning him into a serviceable late-inning arm wouldn’t only benefit the team this season, but in the future as well. If the White Sox can continue to get the best out of Hicks and David Sandlin turns into a legitimate rotation option, the offseason trade will land firmly in the win category for Chris Getz.

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