Jordan Hicks to start for Giants after $44M deal, sources say

Right-hander Jordan Hicks and the San Francisco Giants are in agreement on a four-year, $44 million contract, sources told ESPN, with the plan being to convert him from the bullpen into a full-time starter.

Hicks, 27, has experience as a starter, working there almost exclusively in his two minor league seasons and spending eight games in the rotation with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he has a starter's build, and even if his velocity recedes with the move, he will still be among the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball.

A source said Hicks can also make up to $2 million per year in performance bonuses.

Perhaps the most sought-after relief pitcher at the 2023 trade deadline, Hicks was dealt from the Cardinals to the Toronto Blue Jays for two prospects. He finished the season with 81 strikeouts in 65 innings between the two teams, allowing just four home runs while saving 12 games.

Among all qualified pitchers, his 100.3 mph average on his four-seam fastball was second in the majors to Jhoan Duran (101.8 mph) and his 101.1 mph average on his sinker was second only to Aroldis Chapman, according to Statcast.

The deal, which is pending a physical, adds Hicks to a deep complement of starting options. Ace Logan Webbisthe only guarantee in San Francisco's rotation, with Hicks, right-hander Ross Stripling, left-handed prospect Kyle Harrison and right-hander Keaton Winn also vying for spots. San Francisco traded for former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, who is expected back from Tommy John surgery after the All-Star break, while veteran Alex Cobb is expected to miss the beginning of the season following hip surgery.

Hicks is best known for his blazing fastball, a pitch that dips and darts with uncommon movement for its velocity. He debuted in St. Louis' bullpen at 21, less than three years after the Cardinals chose him in the third round out of a Houston-area high school.

He had Tommy John surgery in June 2019 after saving 14 games in 15 opportunities for the Cardinals. Hicks then opted out of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, citing preexisting health concerns, as he was diagnosed in high school with Type 1 diabetes. He returned in 2021, only to experience another setback with right elbow discomfort. He went on the injured list in early May and did not pitch again that season.

When he came back in 2022, Hicks built up to start, throwing 24 innings over seven games with a 5.84 ERA before going on the injured list. He returned as a reliever -- and opened one July game -- and stayed in the bullpen through the end of last season. In his 25 games with Toronto, Hicks posted a 2.63 ERA and finished strong in the best season of his big league career.

San Francisco has cycled through a litany of starting pitchers in recent years, with Stripling, Winn, Sean Manaea, Alex Wood and Jakob Junis all pitching out of the bullpen as well last season as the Giants went 79-83 and fired manager Gabe Kapler. If Hicks doesn't remain in the rotation, he would join Camilo Doval and make up the hardest-throwing back end of a bullpen in baseball.

Hicks is the third free agent to sign with the Giants this winter, joining center fielder Jung Hoo Lee (six years, $113 million) and catcher Tom Murphy (two years, $8.25 million).

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.