"Whaaaaaat?! That’s a wild move by SF" "Making him a starter again lmao???" - MLB fans shocked as Giants reportedly sign Jordan Hicks in starting role

Jordan Hicks has agreed terms with the San Francisco Giants on a four-year, $44 million contract, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Adding an extra wrinkle, Hicks is expected to be a starter in 2024, which is a break from the norm in his career.

Passan took to X to announce:

"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."

Fans were quick to share their thoughts on the matter, with the majority mindblown by the news that Hicks would be a starting pitcher for San Francisco:

"Whaaaaaat?! That’s a wild move by SF 😭"

"Making him a starter again lmao???"

The consensus was that this was a bizarre decision at best and a dangerous one at worst.

Others were more supportive of the signing, thinking Hicks could do a good job for the Giants:

Jordan Hicks signing for the Giants is one thing, but starting is another

As the majority of fans pointed out, Jordan Hicks starting for the San Francisco Giants is a highly unexpected move. Hicks has spent much of his career in the bullpen and that was not expected to change here.

For perspective, Hicks has eight major league starts in 212 appearances in his five seasons in the MLB. While Hicks was expected to sign a lucrative deal in free agency, the expectation was that he would be a relief pitcher.

Missing out has been a theme of their offseason, after being reportedly linked to Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shōta Imanaga, who all went elsewhere. With teams like the New York Yankees looking at Hicks, the Giants had to move fast or miss out.

Given that Jordan Hicks' experience as an MLB starter came with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022, it will be interesting to see how he does in San Francisco.