BREAKING NEWS: Giants signing free agent flamethrower to sizable deal

The San Francisco Giants are expanding their selection to include unleaded gasoline.

Jordan Hicks, a free agent pitcher, and the Giants have agreed to a four-year, $44 million contract, according to a report published on Friday by Jeff Passan of ESPN. Hicks, who has spent the majority of his MLB career as a reliever, is anticipated to start for the Giants, according to Passan.

Hicks, 27, is considered one of the hardest throwers in the sport. His prowess with the radar gun has often left us in disbelief. During the 2018 season, he recorded an impressive 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings while playing for St. Louis and Toronto. Hicks’ career average fastball velocity is 100.8 mph, while his sinker velocity is 100.2 mph, according to FanGraphs.

Given that Hicks has Tommy John surgery in 2019, there is clearly a danger involved in trying to stretch him out to become a starter with that kind of arm. However, the right-hander Hicks might only be asked to open games, and even then, it might only be for a short while, until the star pitcher they just traded for comes back around the All-Star break.