Right-hander Jordan Hicks and the San Francisco Giants agreed on a four-year, $44 million contract according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. The most intriguing part of the signing is the plan to convert Hicks from the bullpen into a full-time starter. The 27-year-old has experience as a starter, where he worked there exclusively in his two minor league seasons and spent eight games in the rotation with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022. Even if his velocity isn’t effective, he will be among the hardest-throwing pitchers across baseball. He brings an electric, yet erratic arm with high-leverage experience.
BREAKING: Right-hander Jordan Hicks and the San Francisco Giants are in agreement on a four-year, $44 million contract, a source familiar with the deal tells ESPN. Hicks, 27, is expected to work as a starter after spending the majority of his career in the bullpen.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 12, 2024
Jordan Hicks Heads to the Bay Area
Hicks, 27, tossed 65.2 innings across 65 games last season, both representing the most since his rookie year in 2018. A 132 ERA+ indicates his performance was 32 percent better than the league average, and he utilized his electric stuff to strike out a great 11.1 per nine.
Additionally, he only gave up four homers, which makes sense considering his ground ball percentage ranked in the 96th percentile. This comes as no surprise as he relies on a heavy sinker that averages 100 mph. Hicks’ sinker had a Run Value of 12 last season, meaning it was one of the most impactful pitches in the league in preventing runs.
A 59% GB-rate, 3.33 xERA, 28 K%, 12 SV, .210 xBA…Jordan Hicks will get paid handsomely! pic.twitter.com/FdTuwZaLVc
— Discuss Baseball (@discussbaseball) December 1, 2023
Giving up home runs and walks late in the game can doom a team. While part of Hicks’ appeal is centered around his strikeout and ground ball ability, his wildness is perhaps the biggest flaw in his game. For his career, he walks batters at a 12.8 percent clip (around 8.5 percent represents the legue average). While wildness is not ideal, Hicks’ electric stuff and ability to get strikeouts (he was in the 83rd percentile in K% last year) and ground balls for double plays help negate the free passes.
However, Hicks’ extensive injury history surely scared teams off this winter. Hicks has missed time due to Tommy John surgery in 2019 and elbow/forearms issues in the following years. Just twice has Hicks appeared in more than 35 games in a season.
In Hicks, San Francisco will get an electric, high-leverage arm still in his prime. While the potential for injuries will likely always cause worry with Hicks, the upside is incredibly high. Hicks has the potential to be as good as Edwin Diaz or Josh Hader, yet on a much smaller deal.
Photo Credit: © Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
