Minnesota Twins wisely reunite with righty reliever Liam Hendriks on minor league deal
The Minnesota Twins have signed right-handed reliever Liam Hendriks to a minor league deal, according to FanSided's Robert Murray. It's a reunion for the Twins and the three-time All-Star, as Hendriks began his MLB career with the Twins, pitching for the team from 2011 to 2013.
After Hendriks posted a 6.06 ERA in 156 innings with Minnesota from 2011-13, the Twins designated him for assignment in the 2013-14 offseason.
After a brief stint with the Kansas City Royals in 2014, the Toronto Blue Jays converted Hendriks to a full-time reliever. The Australian native had a 2.92 ERA in 58 games with Toronto in 2015, then was traded to the Oakland Athletics for right-handed pitcher Jesse Chavez in the 2015-16 offseason.
Hendriks spent five seasons with Oakland, posting a 3.08 ERA with 332 strikeouts and 71 walks across 263 innings out of the bullpen. In 2019, he represented the Athletics in the All-Star Game and collected 25 saves. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the righty won the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award.
After his stint with the Athletics, Hendriks, now 37, signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Chicago White Sox. He represented Chicago in the All-Star Game in 2021 and 2022 before being diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He fully recovered in mid-2023 and made five appearances for the White Sox that year. In his three seasons with the White Sox, Hendriks posted a 2.76 ERA with 76 saves across 133 2/3 innings. His 38 saves in 2021 led the American League and helped him win his second Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award.
The righty signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Boston Red Sox in February 2024. He missed the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. He made just 14 appearances with Boston in 2025Â due to a hip injury and undergoing successful right elbow ulnar nerve transposition surgery. He had a 6.59 ERA in 13 2/3 innings in 2025.
Reuniting with Hendriks is a smart move for the Twins. Getting him on just a minor league deal is a bargain, considering he was arguably the best reliever in baseball not too long ago. Sure, he is older now and has suffered numerous brutal injuries in recent years, but if he can return to the version of himself that won two AL Reliever of the Year Awards, the Twins will have a cheap star in their bullpen.