The Blue Jays have made a splash ahead of MLB's Aug. 1 trade deadline, landing hard-throwing right-hander Jordan Hicks from the Cardinals.
Hicks was one of the most sought-after relievers on the market. He'll be a welcome addition to Toronto's bullpen as the team eyes a postseason run, especially after closer Jordan Romano was placed on the injured list Saturday. The Blue Jays occupy the third and final wild-card spot in the American League heading into the final third of the campaign.
MORE: Tracking latest Blue Jays trade rumors ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline
For St. Louis, the sell-off has begun. With the Cardinals hurtling toward their first losing season in 16 years, the front office made the decision to cash in on Hicks. They also dealt away left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and right-handed reliever Chris Stratton to the Rangers on Sunday.
Here are the full details of the trade sending Hicks to Toronto:
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Jordan Hicks trade details
- Blue Jays get: RHP Jordan Hicks
- Cardinals get: RHP Sem Robberse, RHP Adam Kloffenstein
OFFICIAL: We’ve acquired RHP Jordan Hicks from the Cardinals in exchange for Minor League RHPs Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 30, 2023
Welcome to the fam, @Jhicks007! pic.twitter.com/UceLI1J2sL
The Blue Jays' bullpen is getting a major boost with the arrival of Hicks.
The 26-year-old got off to a rocky start with the Cardinals this year, but he turned it around and has become one of the most dominant relief pitchers in the league. Since the start of May, he has held opposing hitters to a .210/.288/.238 slash line without giving up a single home run.
MORE: Cardinals won't trade Nolan Arenado
He is also one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in the sport. He has thrown the fastest pitch among players not named Aroldis Chapman, reaching 105 mph in 2018, per Sportsnaut. He also has thrown one of the fastest pitches of 2023, hitting 104.3 mph against the Nationals on June 19.
Last three Jordan Hicks pitches today:
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) June 19, 2023
103.2 MPH, 104.3 MPH, 103.7 MPH 🔥⛽️🔥
(and they looked like this 👇) https://t.co/TiOwbEKtsX
In exchange for Hicks, the Blue Jays are sending the Cardinals a pair of minor league right-handers, Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein.
Robberse, a 21-year-old native of the Netherlands, compiled a 4.06 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings for Double-A New Hampshire this season. Kloffenstein, 22, has a 3.24 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 89 innings this season, also for New Hampshire.
Jordan Hicks stats
| Year | Team | ERA | FIP | IP | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 2018 | Cardinals | 3.59 | 3.74 | 77.2 | 8.1 | 5.2 |
| 2019 | Cardinals | 3.14 | 3.21 | 28.2 | 9.7 | 3.5 |
| 2021 | Cardinals | 5.40 | 4.17 | 10.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| 2022 | Cardinals | 4.84 | 4.17 | 61.1 | 9.2 | 5.1 |
| 2023 | Cardinals | 3.67 | 3.02 | 41.2 | 12.7 | 5.2 |
