When the Boston Red Sox signed former American League saves-leading closer Liam Hendriks to a two-year, $10 million contract before the 2024 season, they were taking a calculated gamble. A cancer survivor who then underwent Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2023, Hendriks was always likely to sit out the 2024 season. But the Red Sox bet he could recover and be a force out of the bullpen last season.
They lost the bet. A series of injuries kept him sidelined, starting with elbow inflammation, followed by an abdominal strain and in September, more forearm issues that ultimately ended his season with more elbow surgery. In the end, Hendriks got onto the mound for only 13 2/3 innings in his entire Red Sox tenure. And now, the onetime fireballer who saved an AL-best 38 games in 2021 is gone from Boston.
On Wednesday, reports surfaced that the 37-year-old from Perth, Australia, has signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins, the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2007.
The Twins confirmed that they had signed Hendriks on their official transactions ledger on Thursday.
Making his debut for Minnesota in 2011, Hendriks threw 156 innings with a bloated 6.06 ERA before the Twins designated him for assignment after the 2013 campaign.
After bouncing between the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals, Hendriks landed in Oakland with the Athletics in 2016, but it was not until 2019 — 12 years after signing his first pro contract — that he found his groove and became one of the American League’s premier relievers.
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The stocky — 6-foot, 235-pound — right-hander saved 25 games that year and was named to his first All-Star team. Signing as a free agent with the Chicago White Sox, he immediately dominated with his league-leading 38-save season. Hendriks went on to save another 37 in 2022. That offseason was a tough one to say the least, as Hendriks was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He beat the disease, but then elbow issues brought him to a halt after just five appearances with one save in 2023.
Though Hendriks signed a minor league deal, he also received an invitation to the Twins’ spring training where, if he can stay healthy this time, opportunity should be there for him. The Twins unloaded five bullpen arms at last year’s trade deadline and have no obvious closer.
The Twins made a low-level trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday as well, acquiring left-handed reliever Anthony Banda for international bonus pool cash. But otherwise the Twins bullpen remains wide open, with only Cole Sands and Justin Topa in the running for the closer spot, and Taylor Rogers along with Kody Funderbunk seemingly assured of spots on the opening day roster.
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