Well, another move I didn't see coming, although I was this close to writing a post about how converting relievers to starters might be cost-effective way to find starting pitching in an extreme sellers market. Jordan Hicks RHP has long been a pitcher with elite velocity, although not necessarily elite results. You may remember he broke in with the Cardinals. He was a SP in their minor league system but except for an unsuccessful 8-game attempt at starting in 2022, pitched exclusively as a reliever in the majors, sometimes as a Closer.
He was beset by injuries starting with Tommy John Surgery in 2019. He missed time in 2021 with elbow inflammation and time in 2022 with a flexor strain. He was mostly healthy last season and traded to the Blue Jays at the trade deadline for a couple of prospects. So where do we stand now?
Today, Hicks agreed to terms with the Giants on a 4 yr/$44 M contract with incentives based on IP which potentially add $2 M(not clear if the $2 M is per year or over the life of the contract). Per MLBTR the Giants are signing him as a SP.
Jordan Hicks RHP. DOB: 9/6/1996. 6'2", 220 lbs.
This could turn out great for Hicks and for the Giants - pitcher-friendly park and coaching staff. Stay healthy!
ReplyDeleteDoc, love your enthusiasm for this signing!
ReplyDeleteThe positive spin may mollify some fans who have been hand wringing all off season.
Put me down for an absolute maybe on this one. And 4 years!!
How much will we lay out for Blake Snell?
Richardd in Winnipeg
Taken in vacuum as individual signings I love all 3 of the Giants FA signings so far. So how can FZ and the Giants be having a bad Hot Stove League season if they've made 3 great signings?
DeleteTaken in a vacuum, absolutely solid winter so far for the Giants. But we're in a division with the Dodgers, so really looks like this:
Delete100 win team acquires:
Ohtani: 6.0 WAR (Only considering Offense)
Yamamoto: 4.0 WAR (Fair Projection)
Glasnow: 2.0 WAR (21 Starts last year...wildcard on health)
Hernandez: 2.1 WAR
79 Win Team acquires:
Murphy: 1.2 WAR
Lee: 4.0 WAR (Optimistic, Korean hitters MLB start slow)
Jordan Hicks: 1.6 WAR (just gave him his career WAR here)
Leaving out Ohtani's potential to pitch in the future, potential earnings from and credibility with the Japanese market with the cult-of-personality hype he brings along.
No argument but realistically the what the Dodgers are doing right now is unprecedented in MLB and nobody else is keeping up, not even the Yankees. Crazy thing is, if you look at pure roster talent, I am not sure the Dodgers are better than the Braves or even the D'Backs.
DeleteWorse case other than injury is he is an elite reliever
ReplyDeleteI like how this doesn't block path of the many pitching prospects. Hicks contract makes him trade-able, or his history could get him back to bullpen.
ReplyDeleteGotta admit, I don't like this move ..smacks a little of desperation and/or, once again, FZ thinking he can outthink everybody when he absolutely fails as a modern conventional GM.. Anyways, why I don't like this is because it is another big risk on top of the big risk of Rob Ray. Hicks has never pitched over 75 innings and has been injured (major) numerous times.. I can see it going off the rails this season with the transition to starter....And 4 years? On top of the Cobb injury..trying to get 100 inning out of Hicks, Ray, Harrison, Win, Beck or any other young pitcher....Gonna be long losing season..Now, if this was a rebuilding season and announced as one, no problem...But it also looks like FZ has the excuses (injury, wait till next year) already lined up when his moves fail like they all did last season
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I like about this move is that a FA on the market actually chose the Giants front office over other organizations when the monies were similar...So, even if I disagree with the choice, FZ did do something right in convincing Hicks to come to SF. It's start.
SteveVA
I totally get the risk part but I will pose this question: What out there is not a big risk? 8-10 years of Snell? Cody Bellinger and his issues, whatever they are? Yamamoto's contract? Heck, Shohei Ohtani's contract?
DeleteWhat FZ did right was promise him he'd be a starter - that could have separated the Giants from other teams on this one. Hicks strongly believes in himself as a starting pitcher - where better than SF, where pitchers come to re-establish their careers?
Deletemm - Just because Hicks believes in himself as a starter doesn't mean he can be a healthy and contibutiing STARTER for one seson, let lone the four he got paid for
DeleteDOC - I don't know, this just seems to be an on the fly seat of the pants failure induced pivoting to a very risky strategy with so many injured and/or young innings limited pitchers (many of whom have been injured - Winn, Loup, Whisenhunt) for this season. Less of a problem if they are officially punting the season and looking down the road, but they aren't saying that.. Even if I did, I think the Ray and Hicks contracts/signings are wrong. Only time will tell
SteveVA
I'll just go back to the Giants just signed a pitcher with premium stuff for what should be the 4 peak years of his career. I'm pretty excited about that.
DeleteIf FZ can sign Urias and Bauer we'll be set!
ReplyDeleteSteveVa, even better if Melvin can can convince Snell to move north!
ReplyDeleteGenerally agree with your comments.
Doc, I'm still pissed at Farhan for not offering Gausman a deal.
Richard in Winnipeg
At least my Winnipeg Jets are flying high Number 1 overall in the NHL.
I think I am on record as one who thought they should have at least made an offer to Gausman. If they were ever going to break the 3 year rule for signing pitchers he seemed as low risk as any and he pitched his butt off for the Giants in the 2 years he was with them. But letting him go and pivoting to the next reclamation project, Rodon, was defensible.
DeleteCool signing for all of your above, Doc! Didn't see that one coming at all but I like it. He certainly is a presence on the mound. From my limited observations, batters looked either hopeless or amped to face him, mostly the former. When he's on, good luck! When he's not, and if there's ample supply of energy drinks in the dug out, batters seem to knock him around. My question, now that Bannister and Bailey are gone, who's going to harness this beast for the long haul of starting? And what would that person even do? He's one of the more explosive pitcher's in the league. Also, how are the Gigantes going to keep the egos of Hicks and Doval from trying to out-gun each other? '102? Pshh, watch this!' Hahaha. Man, imagine Hicks somehow having an effective 6-7, then one of the Rogers bros- or both, and then to 102 Doval; super fun times!
ReplyDeleteRob in Vancouver
Not sure I have the answers regarding coaching but for what it's worth, Bryan Price and Bob Melvin both seem more committed to adding innings for SP's rather than trimming them. Does that come with a commitment to a adding types of pitches rather than trimming them too?
DeleteI dislike FZ more than most but I have to admit this might not be a bad move. They still need more and I’m not sure why Lorenzen isn’t on more people’s radars. He has gone from reliever to starter with some success and seems affordable so maybe get him too?
ReplyDeleteHow much more are they willing to spend this offseason? They need more bats and I still like Hoskins even more now that nobody seems to be talking about him either. He is pretty bad in the OF but in a pinch he could fill in a few innings there if needed. I don’t want Chapman!
I agree on Lorenzen, although I am not sure how many more veteran pitchers you add before you start squeezing out the young guys like Winn and Beck who I think can step up. Agree Chapman is of very little added value for a high cost. I think they still need a lefty DH bat so would prefer bringing Belt back rather than Hoskins, but I would be down with a Hoskins signing too.
DeleteI like what FZ has done this year, hope we can add some speed on the bases and it will be a fun year of Giants baseball. Let the kids play more. Not to worry, we have a seasoned coaching staff.
ReplyDeleteDoc, Hicks is a Type 1 diabetic. Is that a concern, or is that not so uncommon in professional athletes these days?
ReplyDeleteMuch less of a concern in the age of continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pumps. Would need to pay extra attention to any signs of end-organ damage as part of the physical.
DeleteI probably would not want to sign a 10 year contract with someone with any type of diabetes but if they are well controlled and have no evidence of end-organ damage, 4 years should be no problem.
DeleteAdam Duvall is type 1
ReplyDeleteThere have been quite a few successful athletes over the years with Type 1 Diabetes. Bobby Clarke was a star center for the Philly Flyers hockey team way back in the day. Bill Stoneman was a all-star pitcher for the Montreal Expos. Technology for management has advanced a lot since then so if he's been successful so far and his physical verifies no end-organ damage, I would say no worries.
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