Giants continue to wait and see Jordan Hicks President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey said this afternoon as a starting pitcher (X link via Alex Pavlovich of NBC Sports Bay Area). The 28-year-old right-hander ended last season in the bullpen.
Last winter, San Francisco signed Hicks to a four-year, $44MM free agent contract. They gave the hard-throwing sinker a starting spot. This is Hicks’ first extended rotation. He started eight games for the Cardinals in 2022, but returned to the bullpen relatively early that year. He spent 23 years as a full-time reliever before earning a rotation spot with the Giants.
Hicks showed early promise as a starter. By the end of May, he had a 2.70 ERA in 12 starts. It looks like Hicks is going to be a relief rotation success story in the league Seth Lugo or McCulkin mold, but things went off the rails midway through the year. Hicks’ velocity has been trending downward each month. In April, his sinker averaged 95.6 mph, but by July, that had dropped to 93.4 mph. Results dropped sharply, with a 5.24 ERA in June and nearly a run per inning in July.
San Francisco moved Hicks to the bullpen late that month. He performed well in a more familiar innings but battled shoulder inflammation later in the year. Hicks finished the season with a career-high 4.10 ERA in 109 2/3 innings. All in all, productivity was about average, but it was an up-and-down year.
Given Hicks’ physical exhaustion, it’s reasonable to wonder if the Giants will bring him back permanently. Posey also wasn’t responsible for signing him as a starter, a move that was made under former front office leader Farhan Zaidi. Still, it appears they will give Hicks a chance at a rotation spot.
Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Kyle Harrison Locked into rotating roles upon entering camp. If Hicks finishes fourth, that leaves one job up for grabs. This could be some kind of outside acquisition. The Giants have corbyn burnsdespite reported interest predating their agreement with 182MM Willie Adams. It’s unclear whether they’re still willing to play at the top of the rotation. There are many more affordable possibilities in free agency in the mid-level. Mason Black, Hayden Birdsong and Landon Rupp Is a top internal candidate for the fifth starting role. They both have options that could put them in Triple-A next season if San Francisco joins.
In other pitching news, Posey downplays possibility of trading former closer Camilo Doval (San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser on X). The Giants have become interested in the former All-Star, whose ERA has been around 4.88 as his command has deteriorated this year. The price to trade Doval this winter will be low, though, and the back end of the Giants’ bullpen is already a bit thin. Ryan Walker Had a breakout season and won the ninth inning, while Tyler Rogers and Tyler Rogers Being in a position of potential leverage. MLBTR writer Matt Swartz projects Doval will make $4.6MM in his first season of arbitration eligibility, and he represents a volatile middle-inning option.
