Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks He has chosen to exit the 2020 season, citing pre-existing health concerns, the Cardinals announced Monday. Hicks, who has type 1 diabetes, is also recovering from Tommy John surgery and was expected to open the season on the disabled list.
“We respect and understand Jordan’s decision not to participate this season,” President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said in a statement announcing the news. “We wish him well as he continues to recover from elbow surgery, and we look forward to seeing Jordan back on the mound for the 2021 season.”
Hicks becomes the 13th major league player to choose not to participate in the 2020 season, joining an ever-growing roster that appears to have more additions from now until Opening Day. While most have been veteran players with considerable professional gains already under their belt, the Hicks and White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech They’ve resisted that trend, joining the Nationals with reason. Joe Ross as younger players on the exclusion list.
In particular, Athletic’s Mark Saxon tweets that Type 1 diabetes is classified by MLB as a pre-existing condition that would allow a player to opt out of receiving and receiving service time and salary. Hicks is not yet eligible for arbitration, so he will take home a prorated salary worth just a little more than the league minimum, but the service time he accumulates this season will take him three years, which makes him eligible for refereeing the first time this winter.He won’t have much of a platform to earn a sizeable raise, but that will take him one step closer to free agency in the offseason 2023-24, so it’s certainly important to both the player and for the team.
Hicks is the toughest pitcher in baseball, averaging 101.6 mph on his fastball before injury. After a solid rookie season in 2018, he seemed to be taking his game to another level in 2019, when he shot a 3.14 ERA with 9.7 K / 9, 3.5 BB / 9, 0.63 HR / 9 and a massive 67.2 percent on the ground. . ball speed in 28 2/3 innings. Hicks was 14 of 15 in save opportunities last year before his injury, firmly taking the job of manager Mike Shildt’s ninth inning in the bullpen.
From a pure baseball perspective, it’s a tough loss for the Cardinals, who have also seen the setup man. John Brebbia undergoing Tommy John surgery while the man of the top setting Giovanny Gallegos It has not yet been reported to summer camp. It has been spoken again using Carlos Martinez as a late entry option, although the right’s preference has been to start. Mozeliak has also previously mentioned the right Ryan Helsley as a possible ninth-inning option in the absence of Hicks.
