Ex-Cardinals $44 Million Flamethrower Reportedly Could Be Dealt; Is Reunion Worth It?

The St. Louis Cardinals' pitching staff could look much different in 2025 despite last offseason's retooling, which proved insufficient.

After failing to make the playoffs for a second straight season, the Cardinals will enter a rebuilding phase that could see several key hurlers dealt, such as ace Sonny Gray and single-season saves leader Ryan Helsley.

If Helsley is traded this winter, that will leave a vacancy for the closing position in the bullpen. Perhaps the Cardinals could reunite with a former flamethrower, viewed as a logical trade chip for his current team.

"San Francisco Giants: they should trade Jordan Hicks," Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer wrote Tuesday. "The caveat here is that Hicks wouldn't seem to be especially popular in San Francisco. He was quick to earn goodwill in his first season as a Giant, but just as quick in squandering it."

Hicks began this season as a starting pitcher for the Giants. Although he started strong, the former St. Louis reliever cooled off towards the end of the year, finishing with a mediocre 4-7 record, a 4.10 ERA, 96-to-47 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .265 batting average against and a 1.45 WHIP in 109 2/3 innings pitched for San Francisco.

"With the guy who signed Hicks to a four-year, $44 million contract now out of the picture, it wouldn't be surprising if the Giants at least shopped him this winter," Rymer continued. "The only question then is what they could even get for him."

Now that Giants legend Buster Posey has taken over as the new president of baseball operations for San Francisco, there's no telling what the Giants' offseason will entail. Hicks' regression in 2024 is nothing new, as he struggled to stay consistent throughout his 4 1/2 seasons stint with St. Louis.

It'd be challenging to trade for a former hurler who hasn't proved that he can be relied on, either as a starter or a reliever. Hicks is a talented fireballer but his shaky track record would make it hard for him to find a spot in the Cardinals 2025 pitching staff.