Liam Hendriks, released by the Twins, could return to Chicago. The White Sox need bullpen arms, but does a familiar face make sense for their future?
Liam Hendriks was a fan favorite in his three seasons with the Chicago White Sox.
The White Sox signed Hendriks to a big four-year, $54 million deal before the 2021 season. The right-hander was a dominant closer for this team during his three years and really embraced the Chicago fanbase.
Unfortunately, his time with the White Sox ended a bit short after he underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery in 2023. With Hendriks set to miss all of 2024, the front office made the tough decision to decline his $15 million option for that season.
The White Sox made the right decision at that time to decline Hendriks’ option. He wasn’t going to pitch during the 2024 season, so there was no incentive in paying him all that money to sit out.
But could Hendriks find his way back to the South Side this year?
The 37-year-old signed a Minor League contract with the Twins in mid-February. He was fighting for a bullpen spot this spring and had a good shot to make Minnesota’s Opening Day roster. However, Hendriks will become a free agent again before the season begins.
He was granted his release by the Twins on Friday afternoon. That means any team, including the White Sox, could sign the three-time All-Star.
After losing Mike Vasil for the season due to an elbow injury, the White Sox have a spot open in their bullpen. That’s where Hendriks could come in. He is very familiar with Chicago and has had plenty of success here before.
Hendriks had a 2.76 ERA and 201 strikeouts across 133 ⅔ innings pitched with the White Sox from 2021 to 2023. His best season with the team came in 2021 when he finished with a 2.54 ERA, 113 strikeouts, and 38 saves across 71 innings pitched.
While it would be awesome to see Hendriks in a White Sox uniform again, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for the South Siders to sign the 37-year-old in free agency.
The White Sox already have the backend of their bullpen set. Seranthony Dominguez is expected to be the team’s closer to begin the year, and Grant Taylor should see most of the high-leverage opportunities in the later innings.
Hendriks is also clearly past his prime. He was limited to only 13 ⅔ innings with the Red Sox last year due to elbow/hip injuries. In those 13 ⅔ innings pitched, the 14-year veteran had a 6.59 ERA and 12 strikeouts.
The fit just doesn’t make sense for the White Sox. For a team that is all about building around its young core, Hendriks doesn’t fit the bill.