Former White Sox closer Liam Hendriks is joining the Cubs organization on a minor league deal just days before the 2026 Crosstown Classic begins at Rate Field.
Slowly but surely, the crosstown rivalry between the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs is starting to be reignited.
There is more anticipation for the 2026 Crosstown Classic than there has been in years, and we're only days away from the Cubs coming to Rate Field to take on the White Sox for a three-game series over the weekend.
It couldn't be more fitting timing for the latest transaction. According to reports, former White Sox closer and fan favorite Liam Hendriks is joining the Cubs organization on a minor league contract.
Hendriks last pitched in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox in 2025, making 14 appearances out of the bullpen with a 6.59 ERA. He then signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins in February of 2026 and received an invite to MLB spring training.
It was a fitting reunion for Hendriks, who started his career in a Twins uniform from 2011 to 2013 as a starting pitcher. And despite his 3.86 ERA in seven relief appearances during spring training, the Twins released the 36-year-old Aussie at the end of March. Hendriks failed to make the Opening Day roster and then triggered his opt-out clause, hoping to find a better opportunity on the open market. He may have found it with the Cubs.
The Cubs did a lot of work to fix their bullpen in 2026, and while the group as a collective has been fine, Chicago has still already cycled through 19 different relief pitchers this season. Ethan Roberts, Ryan Rolison, and Trent Thornton are all on the active roster despite not starting the season with the big league team.
There will inevitably be more turnover the rest of the way, and if Hendriks does the job in the minor leagues, he could get another big league opportunity in a city he loves, where he pitched from 2021 through 2023.
The White Sox signed Hendriks to a three-year, $54 million deal before the 2021 season. In his first two years in Chicago, he recorded 75 saves, helped the White Sox win the AL Central, and won the Mariano Rivera Award for American League Reliever of the Year.
He made two All-Star Games with the White Sox and became a fan favorite for his electric stuff out of the bullpen, his fiery personality on the mound, his tremendous leadership in the clubhouse, his reliability, and the work he did in nearby communities. Him and his wife, Kristi, worked to make the city of Chicago a better place.
In 2023, Hendriks was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, beat cancer, and returned to the mound for the White Sox that same year. He has overcome a ton of adversity, and he's always a player that White Sox fans root for in his future endeavors, even if he's wearing a Cubs jersey and there is a bit of conflicting interest.
Game 1 of the 2026 Crosstown Series will begin at 6:40 p.m. CST on Friday night from Rate Field.